


GB 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary 



United States Geological Survey 

George Otis Smith, Director 

WATER-SUPPLY Paper 426 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF 
JANUARY, 1916 



BY 



H. D. MoGLASHAN and F. C. EBERT 



Prepared in cooperation with tlie 
STATE OP CAUFORNU 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1918 




Class jiJi^j^L^. 



//. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary 



United States Geological Survey 

George Otis Smith, Director 



Water-Supply Paper 426 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF 

JANUARY, 1916 j^^ 



BY 



H. D. McGLASHAN AND F. C. EBERT 



Prepared in cooperation with the 
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 




WASHINGTON 

QOVERNMEXT PRINTING OFFICE 
1918 



-^ 



of 



ADDITIONAL COPIES 

OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 

THE SUPERIXTEXDEXT OF DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

15 CENTS PER COPY 



P. Of ©• 
APR 30 1918 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 7 

Acknowledgments - 8 

Precipitation 10 

Storms of January, 1916 10 

Rainfall in earlier years 17 

Intensity and distribution of rainfall 20 

Flood of January, 1916 22 

Crest discharge 22 

Condition of reservoirs during flood 24 

Morena reservoir 1 24 

Lower Otay reservoir 25 

Sweetwater reservoir 26 

Cuyamaca reservoir 26 

Damage due to flood 27 

Loss of life 27 

Agricultural lands 28 

Municipal property 28 

Water supply 29 

Power plants 30 

Railroads 31 

Highways and bridges '. 32 

Telegraph and telephone lines 33 

Miscellaneous damages 34 

Comparison of flood of 1916 with previous floods in southern California 35 

Basis of comparison 35 

Tia Juana River 36 

Sweetwater River. , : 36 

San Diego River 37 

San Luis Rey River 38 

Temecula Creek 39 

Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers 40 

Flood run-off in January, 1916 40 

Collection of records 40 

Tia Juana River basin 41 

General features 41 

Cottonwood Creek at Morena reservoir, Cal 42 

Otay River basin 43 

General features 43 

Otay River at Lower Otay reservoir, near Otay, Cal 44 

Jamul Creek near Otay, Cal 45 

Sweetwater River basin 45 

General features 45 

Sweetwater River near Descanso, Cal 46 

Sweetwater River near Dehesa, Cal 47 

Sweetwater River at Rudolph ranch, near Dehesa, Cal 47 

Sweetwater River near Jamarho, Cal 48 

Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam, Cal 48 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

Flood run-off in January, 1916 — Continued. Pa„g 

San Diego River basin 49 

General features 49 

San Diego River at diverting dam near Lakeside, Cal 50 

San Diego River at Capitan Grande dam site, near Lakeside, Cal 52 

San Diego River near Santee, Cal 52 

San Diego River at San Diego, Cal 53 

Boulder Creek at Cuyamaca reservoir, near Julian, Cal 54 

San Vicente Creek at Foster, Cal 55 

Switzer Canyon at San Diego, Cal ■ 55 

San Diegiiito River basin 5g 

General features 56 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa Grande, Cal 56 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Ramona, Cal 57 

San Diegiiito River near Bernardo, Cal 58 

Santa Maria Creek near Ramona, Cal 59 

San Luis Rey River basin 61 

General features 61 

San Luis Rey River near Mesa Grande, Cal 61 

San Luis Rey River near Nellie, Cal 62 

San Luis Rey River near Pala, Cal 63 

San Luis Rey River at Pala, Cal 64 

San Luis Rey River at Bonsall, Cal 64 

San Luis Rey River at Oceanside, Cal 65 

Moosa Canyon Creek near Bonsall, Cal 66 

Santa Ana River basin 67 

General features 67 

Santa Ana River near Mentone, Cal 68 

Santa Ana River at San Bernardino, Cal 68 

Lytle Creek at San Bernardino, Cal 69 

San Jacinto River near San Jacinto, Cal 70 

San Jacinto River near Elsinore, Cal 70 

History of Elsinore Lake 71 

Elsinore Lake at Elsinore, Cal 72 

South Fork of San Jacinto River at Hemet reservoir, near San Jacinto, 

Cal 72 

San Gabriel River baain 73 

General features 73 

San Gabriel River near Azusa, Cal 74 

Los Angeles River basin 75 

General features 75 

Los Angeles River at Los Angeles, Cal 75 

Arroyo Seco near Pasadena, Cal 76 

Arroyo Seco at Los Angeles, Cal 77 

Santa Clara River basin 77 

General features 77 

Sespe Creek near Sespe, Cal 77 

Index 79 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 
Plate I. Map showing precipitation and gaging stations in San Diego, Orange, 

Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties In pocket. 

II. A, View up Lower Otay reservoir after failure of dam; 5, View down- 
stream at site of Lower Otay dam, after failure 24 

III. A, Sweetwater dam after flood of January, 1916; B, Break at right 

end of Sweetwater dam after flood of January, 1916 25 

IV. A, View up Mission Valley, San Luis Rey River, in 1915; B, View 

up Mission Valley, San Luis Rey River, February 21, 1916 28 

V. A, View across Mission Valley, San Luis Rey River, at D. Jones's 
ranch after flood of January, 1916; B, View up San Luis Rey River 
at junction with Moosa Canyon Creek after flood of January, 1916. . 29 

VI. A, Winston ranch, Mission. Valley, San Luis Rey River, February 
21, 1916; B, Canfield ranch, near Bonsall, San Luis Rey River, 

February 21, 1916 30 

VII. A, San Diego River at San Diego after flood of January, 1916, show- 
ing damage to county and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 
bridges; B, Santa Margarita River near mouth after flood of Janu- 
ary, 1916, showing damage to State highway and Atchison, Topeka 

& Santa Fe Railway bridges 31 

VIII. A, View up San Luis Rey River from mouth after flood of January, 
1916, showing damage to Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 
and State highway bridges; B, Debris on beach at Oceanside and 
delta built up by San Luis Rey River after flood of January, 1916 . . 32 

IX, A, Highway bridge across San Luis Rey River at Pala before flood 
of January, 1916; B, Wreck of highway bridge across San Luis Rey 

River at Pala after flood of January, 1916 33 

X. A, View downstream on Sweetwater River near Descanso after flood 
of January, 1916; B, View upstream on Jamul Creek near Otay 
after flood of January, 1916 46 

XI. A, View upstream showing Capitan Grande dam site on San Diego 
River after flood of January, 1916; B, View upstream on San 

Vicente Creek at Foster after flood of January, 1916 47 

XII, A, View up San Diego River at Mission dam, nearSantee, after flood 
of January, 1916; B, View up Mission Valley, San Diego River, 
from old municipal pumping plant, after flood of January, 1916. . 52 

XIII. View up channel of San Diego River at Lakeside after flood of Jan- 

uary, 1916 53 

XIV. A, View upstream on Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa Grande after 

flood of January, 1916; B, View across Santa Ysabel Creek near 

Ramona after flood of January, 1916 58 

XV. A, View downstream at Carroll dam site, on San Dieguito River near 
Bernardo after flood of January, 1916; B, View downstream on 

Santa Maria Creek near Ramona in 1917 59 

XVI. A, Gaging station on Santa Ana River near Mentone after flood of 
January, 1916; B, View across channel of San Gabriel River at 

mouth of canyon near Azusa after flood of January, 1916 68 

XVII. A, View upstream on San Jacinto River near Elsinore after flood of 
January, 1916; B, View eastward along north shore of Elsinore 
Lake, March 10, 1916 69 

6 



SOUTHEEX CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JAJsUARY, 1916. 



By H. D. McGlashax and F. C. Ebert. 



INTRODUCTIOX. 

The rains that swept southern Cahfomia in mid-January, 1916, 
converted the streams into torrents that overran their banks and 
devastated wide areas of the most fertile land of the State. The rains 
were heaviest and the floods most disastrous in San Diego County, 
but they were also very heavy in parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, 
Los Angeles, and Ventura counties, and they "^Tought widespread 
ruin throughout the region that extends southward from Santa Clara 
River to the Mexican boundary, and westward from the north-south 
ranges of San Bernardino and San Diego counties to the ocean. 

For nearly a month San Diego County was practically cut off from 
communication with the rest of the State. Fortunately the wireless 
could be used even after all telegraph and telephone hues failed, and 
suppHes urgently needed at San Diego were brought in by steamer. 

Aside from the loss of life, the most serious loss was that resultmg 
from the destruction of the results of the work of generations on 
well-developed farm lands and their improvements. Dams that are 
broken down, bridges that are washed out, water mains, pipe lines, 
irrigation ditches, wells and pumps, and power plants that are damaged 
can be speedily repaired if funds are available, but it requires a long 
time to efface completely the track of a flood in a fertile, intensively 
cultivated river valley. 

A record of the magnitude of such a flood and a study of the damage 
done and of the history of previous floods are of value not only in 
efforts to solve the general problem of flood prevention, but also in 
planning the complete utilization of the water resources of a region. 
In San Diego County, especially, where the losses were very heavy, 
a number of feasible reservoir sites have not been developed because 
the expense is apparently not yet warranted by the demand for their 
utihzation for water supply alone. A detailed study may show, how- 
ever, that the value of these sites as reservoirs for flood protection 
is sufficient to justify the county in assuming part of the cost of con- 

7 



8 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

struction or assessing it against the properties to be protected. A 
fundamental requirement for this study is a knowledge of precipita- 
tion and stream flow, such as that presented in the records given in 
the following pages. 

The records of precipitation have been collected by the United 
States Weather Bureau and many private parties at 156 stations fairly 
well distributed throughout the area. The records of stream flow 
have been collected by the United States Geological Survey and coop- 
erating parties, and these also include many records furnished by 
private individuals. The importance of these records to engineers 
who are charged with the duty of designing and building structures 
along these streams is obvious and is impressively emphasized by the 
magnitude of the floods studied and the enormous destruction they 
have wrought. 

The engineer will be impressed with the fact that whereas damages 
to property resulting from failure of engineering structures may be 
evaluated as a basis for determining the limit of economic cost of such 
structures, the loss of life can not be evaduated. Structures whose 
safety involves human life should, therefore, be designed much more 
securely than those whose failure would involve damage to property 
only. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

It is a distinct pleasure to acknowledge the cordial assistance ren- 
dered the writers by engineers, public officials, officers of various com- 
panies, and all others of whom such assistance was requested. 

All stream-gaging work of the United States Geological Survey in 
California is done in cooperation with the State Department of 
Engineering, W. F. McClure, State engineer, and the State Water 
Commission, W. A. Johnstone (president) , Irving Martin, and A. E. 
Chandler, commissioners. 

The section of the report relating to flood run-off would have been 
much less complete and accurate if it had lacked the data and assist- 
ance furnished by Mr. W. S. Post, consulting engineer for theVolcan Land 
& Water Co. and the Cuyamaca Water Co. During the floods and in 
the weeks following these companies made a very strong effort to col- 
lect aU information possible, and they also placed special parties in the 
field at different times to obtain such additional data as the writers 
desired to complete and check parts of the records. The chief engineer 
of the Sweetwater Water Co., Mr. John F. Covert, furnished a number 
of valuable flood records which he had carefully collected, and Messrs. 
G. S. Strout, E. R. Bowen, and C. H. Lee obtained stream measure- 
ments and furnished very helpful information regarding the floods 
on the San Luis Rey. The list would be long if mention were made of 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 9 

all parties who cooperated. Specific acknowledgment is made in con- 
nection with the detailed records. 

All pubUshed and unpubhshed records of the United States Weather 
Bureau in the area covered by this report were furnished through 
Mr. G. H. Willson, section director, San Francisco. The local 
offices at Los Angeles and San Diego also furnished much detailed 
information. Records collected by private parties are acknowl- 
edged in connection with data for the stations. The Los Angeles 
County records were furnished by Mr. J. W. Regan, engineer of 
the flood-control district. 

Estimates of the amount of damage to property were furnished 
as follows : 

Assessors: Montgomery M. Moulton, San Diego County; James Sleeper, Orange 
County; C. B. Bayley, Riverside County; E. J. Gilbert, San Bernardino County; 
Ed W. Hopkins, Los Angeles County. 

County engineers and surveyors: George Butler, San Diego County; J. L. McBride, 
Orange County; A. C. Fulmor, Riverside County; J. A. Sourwine, San Bernardino 
County; and F. H. Joyner, Los Angeles County, road commissioner. 

City engineers: George Cromwell, San Diego; J. M. Oakey, San Bernardino; Clarence 

E. Bayley, Pomona; R. V. Orbison, Pasadena; Homer Hamlin, Los Angeles; Albert 
de Ruiz, Long Beach; and Chas. E. Chambers, president board of trustees, San 
Jacinto. 

Railway engineers: A. Ervast, chief engineer, San Diego & South Eastern Rail- 
way Co., San Diego Electric Railway Co.;'E. J. Kallright, general superintendent, 
San Diego & Arizona Railway Co.; W. J. Gough, superintendent, Los Angeles & 
San Diego Beach Railway Co. ; J. McMillan, general manager, Pacific Electric Rail- 
way Co. ; Arthur Maguire, chief engineer, San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Rail- 
road Co.; J. Q. Barlow, assistant chief engineer, Southern Pacific Co.; R. B. Ball, 
engineer Grand Division, Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co. 

Water company engineers: John F. Covert, chief engineer, Sweetwater Water Co.; 

F. M. Faude, assistant manager, Cuyamaca Water Co.; J. B. Dixon, superintendent, 
Escondido Mutual Water Co.; Francis Cuttle, president. Riverside Water Co.; W. S. 
Post, consulting engineer. Lake Hemet Water Co.; H. R. Case, manager, Temescal 
Water Co. 

Miscellaneous: F. H. ToUe, secretary and general manager, South Coast Land Co.; 
R. C. Starr, hydraulic engineer, Pacific Light & Power Corporation; H. W. Dennis, 
construction engineer, Southern California Edison Co.; C. O. Poole, chief engineer, 
Southern Sierras Power Co.; Austin B. Fletcher, State highway engineer; J. L. Ord, 
division plant superintendent. Western Union Telegraph Co.; C. L. Lewis, super- 
intendent. Postal Telegraph-Cable Co.; D. P. Fullerton, general superintendent of 
plant. Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co.; L. M. Klauber, superintendent electric 
department, San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Co.; L. M. Drown, manager, 
Western Salt Co.; T. L. Barnes, general manager, Fentou-Sumption-Barnes Co.; 
C. R. Olberg, U. S. Indian Office; Maj. G. B. Pillsbury, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. 

The loss of life was reported by the following coroners: Dr. 
Otto G. Marsh, San Diego County; Theo. A. Wmbigler, Orange 
Coimty; C. S. Dickson, M. D., Riverside County; J. L. McMinn, San 
Bernardino County; and the coroner's office of Los Angeles County. 



10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

PRECIPITATION. 

STORMS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

The storms from wliich the floods of January, 1916, resulted 
began January 17, but light rains had been reported for several days 
preceding. The United States Weather Bureau ^ described the storms 
as follows : 

It seems reasonable to suppose that the storm which swept over Hawaii on the 18th- 
19th passed inland over California on the 27th. It is charted as Low No. XIV, Chart 
III. About a week previous Low No. X, Chart III, passed inland over the middle 
California coast on the 17th, crossed the south-central part of the State on the 
ISth, and then moved northeastward into Wyoming by the morning of the 19th. 
DuriBg its movement over the south-central portion of CaHfomia the storm slackened 
its progressive movement, meanwhile giving very heavy rains over the coimties of 
southern California. Light rains had fallen during the previous three or four days 
and conditions were unusually favorable for a high run-off in connection with the 
heavy rains of the 17th and 18th. * * * The resulting floods were severe and much 
damage was done to railroads, bridges, highways, land under cultivation, and to the 
harbor of Los Angeles, by reason of the mass of silt deposited thereon. 

A second deluge of rain descended upon the counties of southern California in 
connection with Low Xo. XIV, mentioned in a preceding paragraph. The second 
storm was of much shorter duration. At San Diego, Cal., the rain began at 7.18 p. m. 
of the 26th and ended at 7.45 p. m. on the 27th. The total fall amounted to 2.41 
inches. This rainstorm was attended by imusually high winds for southern Cali- 
fornia, the average velocity at San Diego being about 30 miles per hour, with a maxi- 
mum of 54 miles from the south at 4.29 a. m. of the 27th. The reservoirs in the 
county whence the water supply of the city of San Diego is drawn were already nearly 
full as a result of the rains of the previous week, and all of them, evidently, were 
not in a condition to withstand the added strain put upon them by the rains of the 
26th-27th. 

The table on pages 12-16 contains records of precipitation not only 
at stations maintamed by the Weather Bureau, but at many other 
stations maintained pubhcly or privately in the basins described 
in this paper. A few records obtained in adjoining river basins 
have been added for pui'poses of comparison and indicate the limits 
of excessive precipitation during the two storms. (See PL I, in 
pocket.) 

From the records presented in these tables the mean precipitation 
for the principal drainage basins in San Diego Coimty has been 
computed for the period covered by the storms. Kecords for these 
basins were collected at 63 stations fairly well distributed throughout 
the region. The stations were plotted on the mtip (PI. I), and 
lines of equal precipitation were drawn. The boimdary of each 
drainage basin above selected points was also indicated, and the 
areas between adjacent precipitation lines within each basin, were 
measured with a planimeter. The results are given in the following 
table: 

1 MonthJy Weather Review, vol. 44, No. 1, January, 1916. 



PRECIPITATION. 



11 



Mean precipitation in drainage basins in San Diego County, Cal.,for period Jan. 1. 

30, 1916. 



to 



Station. 



Drainage 
area. 



Mean 
precipi- 
tation. 



Otay River at Lower Otay dam 

Jamul Creek above Lower Otay reservoir. 

Sweetwater River at Descanso 

Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam 

San Diego River at diverting dam 

San Diego River at Lakeside 

San Diego River at Mission dam 

San Diego River at San Diego 

San Vicente Creek 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa Grande 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Ramona 

San Dieguito River at Carroll dam site. . . 

San Diegiiito River at mouth 

Santa Maria Creek near Ramona 

San Luis Rev River near Mesa Grande. . . 

San Luis Rey River near Nellie 

San Luis Rey River near Pala 

San Luis Rey River at Bonsall 

San Luis Rey River at Oceanside 



Square 

miles. 

98.6 

69.8 

43.7 

181 

102 

203 

375 

434 
74.9 
53.4 

110 

299 
a 340 
57.3 

209 

240 

322 

46.5 

565 



Inches. 
19.2 
21.0 
27.4 
21.8 
27.6 
25.0 
21.4 
19.9 
19.2 
30.3 
25.8 
23.6 
22.4 
21.2 
24.9 
25.4 
25.7 
24.3 
22.6 



a Approximate. 

In the mountainous part of the area much of the precipitation 
was in the form of snow, as shown by the following table, in which 
the amount of snow on the ground on January 15 is compared with 
that remaining January 3 1 : 

Snowfall, in inches, in mountains of southern California for January, 1916. a 



Station. 



Total 
snow- 
fall. 



Amount 
on 

ground 
on 15th. 



Amount 

on 
ground 
on 31st. 



Com- 
pared 
with 
normal. 



Bear Valley dam. 
Converse Nursery 

Holcomb 

Squirrel Inn 

Seven Oaks 

Nellie 

Julian 



30 



+59 
+32 

+ 22 



a Willson, G. H., Climatologicaldata, California section, January, 1916, p. 11. 



12 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



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CO »' O O oi p 30 CO OJ 00 O CO CO aO t>^ 06 O ei Co' -O 05 

nc>S CO -H ,-i^H-H>H 



I -H CO -H es s^ ! 



SSJ 



o 



. 0>C lOC^ ■ 



I^S::: :S 






o» . COiO 



^g???^^ igS^jJgSS g :§S :8£;S 



0000 00 CO- 



Tf Olds t-- oj 

i CO Csj .-H CO ci 



O -^ O -< CO CO CO i-H -^ CO C^ •^ f^ O-^-^O ©OCN 

■«*<e>ac^'r-^(N>o-^foe^^cdco-H t>:,^^eo co-h^ 






(N»OiOO C50C<NOCMXC005>-';(N 



co^r^oooco 
d 



loescoo— <coo •< 



S^?5: 



COOSOCOt^COiONXi-O 



^■<1< iSr^S 



Eh : 



; ."E-i 



:2^ S :g 



! CO NOOOt^ -co 

ICO OTj<t^-H .tnoit- t^ 

'^ CO ' '-H 



~ - — CO • -v CO 

^»o '. • * 



ICOCOO'-HOS 

N ■* 00 o X 05 

^ ^ T-i (N cs ?4 



couocot^ oocoi^ Qt^o.^oc^e>«-H 
xcoo— ■ — ot^-<j< ocoos Jr^^-OJcoo 
i« c^' ^' _■ ,J T^' Tf' t-^ CO "-^ 06 ' ■«i< ei -H 



80 -- rj 'O o 
CONOt^CS 

CO (N T»<' t>^ es -H 






cs ^ cs CO CO c<i i-i lO oi 1-1 a> CO "3 coe* 



eoc^-^eo coiocouo eoc>flO cnm-vei 



I -^ o j# -^ 



t^ot^uot-irj-ccooxcooo -*oe<)c^» 
^^^OLOOcsix — i-eocc-i e<ic^^uo 

ci ' ' ' ' nC'i ' ^^c^i6 ' ^ ' ' ' 



O N Q O X CO CO ■* X ■<*' CD I^ CO lOtO 



■ X — -^ ■<*• c 

,X — <N-H- 



ooco CO e^j CO < 



Ci-<o6co(NXOO-iXOe^ (N: 



loooo 

LO 03 ■<}< O 

•<r -v ic t^ 



«« t^ O O O C I 






§8§So2 ;:g3S22§2§S22§ ^2§§ 

c5 55 Tj< T)< c^ ■<»< ■* CO CO «o ■<«' •^ CO ■>*< M CO ■* ■«*< «o ■<*<-«fcoco 




PRECIPITATION. 



15 



2 533 33.53 03 

g >>o >.g >;§>. g >>g >'2 >.g ^g 

C *jfc;*ju wt.*j ui -ju r:t- -^5 OH 

= S5 S= =53 5 §= §= 3| ll 

^ S- 5- 5-§ - 0- PZ 0% £? 

5 w© ^a, ^owi o ^o ^o -'2 5 

ji -aJS gJ3 g-^g -3 '^--^ o-^ ©5 j-^ 

1 fi 1= l^l » 1^ 1^ 1« "Sl 

8^. 8=°. S'^S ^. 8°^ 8"^ 8"^ 8^ 

D ^::i ^D j:dj ;d ^d ^d ^d m:^ 

?i »M — < ?» -H -^ -H -< . ^ — < 55 _< ;s) _< ^ ^ ^ « _ _H -H -H ,-< ,.- -< ^ ,^ ^ ^ ^7^ C4.^ 

e>»CM:£OXL-;— I— < t^ o acssQ'-'^c:— 'Xtcsssix?^ — Oor^Q cc ?^ f cc X r^ r- 3; oc ^ C S z! S '-2 ^ 

tCiCL-iooJsJ^'-' ■-:^ ».';x'ci^c-r^c^^^^C3ds5^^d■-'^o-'oj oco-< o6---fl<<bo -^ eo •vcsx-^cci' 



:§ S : : 



§?|2S : SS 8 :KS 



O M ■» rt O -«< 






§ :go :§: 



,0 • -o op • 



:^:?5 



: H 



t^-J ^?;XO«ZiS l5(NX-cI--X?5o»XC>)XrC:=C!35rre>» (N-<a5 tOWt^X O O -iOOX->0 






: : :3B 



•<r L- L-i t, • • • 



ss§; 



p: ^ :o- 



:S S§ :s : 



• c<3 X r^ 



!o§S 



!2 IS : :8 



: : : : :S : 2 



: S 



:^ 



: :8 



:g : 



• C • — i.isst^ci^r^or-x •Tj<«C«.'5 



OS e« ro O X t^ 

■«»" »o O CC CC o 



SSSk^I 



SS 



r- X >-': o : 

— t^ -^ - 



:^r-:c>« c>» 



fC i.-S X LI ».-: s: n L-t r>. c ~ o 






X i--^ .c 1- r- o ifl o o c -.s ^ re •.~ ^ o >.-; cs = c= x !N o 

ox — —" C5-^Oi "--:;» '-'' — X cc^ — o x co c^JO'-^t^ o 



"65 

.58 

3.35 

.07 

.41 


oo 


:-o^°"== 


?2 


: : ^^ ;§ 


;re 



' ro O -^ --—<—< O • 'S' re o> O 1 



§ :3S 



NO 



:^ 



•?^ -SS; 



-<oB5 



O >- -r X c-3 



u-? r^ i.'^ o o o o o p O O O O O I- :-: O O u.- 1- o •-" o 
»?>) — •-•ror^ ot^?5rroo>-orjoot~r^MO~-^ 



;2 gSgSo 



8 ? B 
» » t- 



2ggS: 
xS?o 



— MC^t^ro 



.~: "T •« « r^ X 
10 >0>0>OtO>Q 



lOtOOUJO «0 «0 >0 10 «0 to lO «0 «0 U5 «a 10 10 »0 U5 u1 1.-^ ■ ■-: ■.ei.'SiCo-a 



| — ® OS ! 



S^ O^ ?^ li ^ up « 



s 

© 5 H 



— . ~ t: •<* «« . 



as 



a 
:s^ 






5 = o cso 



M - C - ■ 






S5* -I 

= ^ •=•=_ — ^ C > S = w X s 
53 9 

O TO > 



;j3 

; - w 



■;r = ^ -. j=? ° r= 



£ ="3 



16 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



I 





fe 3 




■»^ eS 




C8 o 




^ 5 


lA 


^ ? 


o 

S3 


11 


■»J 


3 


»-; <B 


<: 


d ^ 








■ l5«i 




> t3 




o 


— X3 




c3 . -1^ 


"^ cc 


oog 


{^5 d 


^ a 




hi 


§ s 


5S "^ 


H §, ! 


(N 




o i 








cc 






^ 


E- 






R 




^ I 




oe 


o 




(N 






oc 




t^ 


lO 




(N 


§. ^ 




«o 


oi 1 


^- 


CM 




s 






^ : 


CO 




-M 


<M 








R ■ 


?^ 


6 j 


"o 












03 








Q 


C^ 






s ! 


d 




CT> 




C5 


^ 1 








o 






c>^ 




OC' 


t~- 




,-1 


'-^ 






t^ 




t^ 


r- 






^ <^^ 






g 




o 


1 ; 


g 




,- 


1 : 




'"' 


! ; 






ac 




•^ 


o 




^ 


6 


ii^ 


! 1 1 


s-^J 


CO <n 


>^ 








ISs:^ 


S S 
















3 






.a 










_5 


fl 






6 




m 


il 1 




•-; <» fc. 




Sfe ^ 










O) 




b 






O 














o S S « 



2s Ii 

3 2 3 CO o 

ia^il 

m 

t^ 2 © C3 rj 

>» p ^ t2 o o 

a3 ©^ o« 

" o^ S O 3 

o d =! i=i fc-r) 
_L o 3 © 
'S.2g^©S 
fc a "^^ ^"s 
g o ©-^ £ M 

fc-S c3 >:; Ch:j 
s2 d 5 — ^ T 

•J||.|S| 

+^?5 g ©^ 

^ ^5; ° S & a 
. c-2 " c u 

^ I2i-ae 

•^ c i; a 

pips 

g^8^2S 

ai3s::-2 

+^ p =5-^^ -. 



T|s©IS 

o^-©g-c;r 

•§a^3g 



PRECIPITATION. 



17 



RAINFALL IN EARLIER YEARS. 

In order that the records of precipitation for January, 1916, may be 
compared with those of preceding years, complete monthly records 
of ranifall at San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara are given 
in the following tables. The precipitation for January, 1916, was the 
maximum for that month recorded at these stations. It was, how- 
ever, exceeded by the precipitation in February, 1884, at Los Angeles 
and San Diego, and by that of March, 1867, at San Diego. At Santa 
Barbara the rainfall of January, 1916, exceeded that of the next 
highest month, December, 1867, by 36 per cent. See table on page 20. 

Precipitation, in inches, at San Diego, Cal., 1850-1916. 



1 




< 


i 

1 


1 

O 


1 

> 

o 
'A 


1 


1 


1 


1 


i 

< 




l-s 


1 


i 


1 
< 


1850 















0.03 


1.13 
1.51 


1.00 
.34 


0.09 

.87 



0.71 


0.68 
.01 


"8.'4i 


1850 


7.84 


1850-51... 


■"'6' 


""o 


....„ 


' o.'ig 


'■2.'82 


"i'93 


1851 i 7.49 


1851-52... 








0.02 


.01 


.25 


3.74 


.58 


1.84 


1.87 


.86 


.32 





9.48 


1852 11.87 


1852-53... 





0.40 





.06 


1.45 


4.50 


.60 


.20 


1.52 


.25 


2.10 


.05 


11.03 


1853 7.88 


1853-54... 





.21 








1.28 


1.77 


.99 


2.56 


1.88 


.89 


.18 


.01 


9.77 


1854 11.63 


1854-55... 


0.07 


1.36 


.09 


.27 


.04 


3.29 


1.97 


3.59 


1.30 


1.52 


.06 





13.56 


1855 11.15 


1855-56... 





.04 





.11 


2.15 


.41 


1.27 


1.86 


1.59 


2.17 


.29 





9.89 


1856 9.77 


1856-57... 








.07 





1.22 


1.30 


.26 


1.76 





.04 


0.08 


.03 


4.76 


1857 6. 15 


1857-58... 





.02 


.01 


.49 


2.16 


1.30 


1.52 


.44 


1.24 


.17 





.19 


7.64 


1858, 7.55 


1858-59... 





.04 


.10 


.47 


.28 


3.10 





1.89 


.20 


.36 


.17 





6.61 


1859 


6.10 


1859-60... 


.02 








.18 


1.49 


1.79 


.72 


1.49 


.15 


.65 


.04 


.06 


6.58 


1860 


9.11 


1860-61... 


.14 











2.88 


2.99 


.82 


.79 


.05 


.04 





.19 


7.901861 


7.92 


1861-62... 








1.69 


.05 


1.19 


3.20 


6.56 


1.39 


.97 


.106 


.16 


.48 


15.64 1862 


11.59 


1862-63... 


.11 








.89 


.05 


.93 


.32 


1.09 


.33 


.13 


.02 





3. 87 1863 3. 02 


1863-64... 








.36 





.73 


.04 


.04 


2.50 


.20 


.01 


1.26 


.01 


5.14 1864 7.61 


1864-65... 


.11 








.04 


2.41 


1.04 


1.28 


3.00 





.66 





.01 


8. 45! 1865 7.52 


1965-66... 


1.29 








.02 


.52 


.84 


5.06 


3.43 


1.47 


.11 


.09 





12.82il866 12.31 


1866-67... 





.10 








.24 


1.82 


2.32 


.85 


7.88 


.48 


.04 





13.7311867 15.72 


1867-68... 





.30 





.34 


.45 


3.06 


3.37 


1.6:3 


.73 


1.20 


.15 





11.23 1868 11.16 


1868-69... 


.51 





.05 





2.00 


1.52 


2.88 


1.88 


1.98 


.53 


.33 





11.681869 


10.96 


1869-70... 


.05 








.05 


2.32 


.94 


.64 


.77 


.33 


.20 


.28 





5. 48 1870 


4.37 


1870-71... 


.04 


.07 





1.54 


.18 


.42 


.62 


1.35 


.01 


.70 


.34 





5.1711871 


5.64 


1871-72... 














1.33 


1.39 


.99 


1.63 


.46 


.26 


.12 





7. 18^1872 


5.07 


1872-73... 





.18 











1.43 


.44 


4.21 


.11 


.10 


.03 





6.50 1873 


13.07 


1873-74... 





1.95 








.77 


5.46 


3.11 


3.73 


1.20 


.34 


.32 





16.88 


1874 


10.91 


1874-75... 


.12 





.13 


.53 


.88 


.55 


2.38 


.37 


.45 


.12 


.20 


.02 


5.73 


1875 


6.80 


1876-76... 





.21 


.39 





2.25 


.41 


2.47 


2.44 


1.78 


.06 


.05 


.05 


10.11 


1876 


7.24 


1876-77... 


.03 


.06 


.03 


.08 


.04 


.15 


1.06 


.18 


1.44 


.26 


.43 


Tr. 


3.75 


1877 


8.12 


1877-78... 











.81 


.06 


3.89 


1.46 


4.83 


1.41 


2.91 


.68 


.16 


16.10 


1878 


13.87 


1878-79... 











.96 





1.57 


3.64 


1.04 


.10 


.60 


Tr. 


.07 


7.88 


1879 


14.71 


1879-80... 











.29 


2.77 


6.30 


.61 


1.50 


1.43 


1.34 


.06 


.06 


14.36 


1880 


10.37 


1880-81... 


.09 


.32 





.53 


.28 


4.15 


.62 


.45 


1.88 


1.35 


.04 


.05 


9.66 


1881 


5.00 


1881-82... 





.01 


.04 


.24 


.12 


.30 


4.63 


2.55 


1.02 


.45 


.18 


.07 


9.51 


1882 


9.74 


1882-83... 





Tr. 


.01 


.41 


.39 


.13 


1.09 


.95 


.41 


.31 


1.14 


.08 


4.92'18S31 8.01 


1883-84... 











2.01 


.20 


1.82 


1.34 


9.05 


6.23 


2.84 


2.17 


.31 


25.97 1884 27.59 


1884-85... 





Tr. 


.07 


.35 


.11 


5.12 


.36 


.02 


.78 


1.20 


.61 


.06 


8.6718851 5.73 


1885-86... 


Tr. 


.13 


Tr. 


.31 


1.56 


.71 


6.95 


1.61 


3.73 


1.96 


.04 


.07 


16.961886 16.35 


1886-87... 


Tr. 


Tr. 





.06 


.95 


.10 


.04 


4.51 


.02 


2.14 


.47 


.04 


8.32 18871 10.46 


1887-88... 


.01 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


2.08 


1.14 


1.96 


1.48 


2.79 


.10 


.22 


.04 


9. 82 1888' 11. 57 


1888-89... 


.01 


Tr. 


.04 


.26 


1.83 


2.84 


1.72 


1.80 


2.20 


.19 


.03 


.10 


11.02 1889| 16.03 


1889-90... 


Tr. 


.04 


Tr. 


2.12 


.12 


7.71 


2.79 


1.70 


.41 


.06 


.08 





15. 0211890 


8.02 


1890-91... 





Tr. 


.66 


.01 


.72 


1.61 


1.21 


4.84 


.27 


.76 


.36 


.05 


10.47!l891 


8.99 


1891-92... 


Tr. 





.08 


.04 


.10 


1.29 


1.58 


2.96 


.96 


.41 


1.15 


.13 


8.70 1892 


9.09 


1892-93... 





.05 


Tr. 


.22 


.91 


.69 


.78 


.47 


5.50 


.22 


.39 


Tr. 


9. 26 1893 


10.29 


1893-94... 


Tr. 








.11 


.91 


1.91 


.29 


.49 


1.05 


.11 


.09 


.01 


4.97 


1894 


4.35 



106922°— 18— \TSP 426 2 



18 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Precipitation, in inches, at San Diego, Cal., 1850-1916 — Continued. 



1 


"3 
*-> 


1 


f 


1 
1 


1 
1 


1 


1 


1 


1 


< 


03 


i 

3 


1 


1 


< 


1894-95... 





0.04 


0.01 


Tr. 





2.26 


7.33 


0.53 


1.43 


0.11 


0.19 





1 

11.901895 


11.33 


1895-96... 








.01 


.27 


1.19 


.27 


1.27 


.02 


2.89 


.25 


.03 


.01 


6. 21 1896 


8.73 


1896-97... 


Tr. 


.13 


Tr. 


.97 


.98 


2.18 


3.13 


2.72 


1.53 


.02 


.12 


T. 


11.78 1897 


8.93 


1897-98... 


.01 


Tr. 


Tr. 


1.06 


.02 


.32 


1.71 


.06 


.91 


.22 


.66 


.02 


4. 99 1898 


4.67 


1898-99... 








.07 





.15 


.87 


2.34 


.30 


.85 


.29 


.10 


.27 


5.24 1899 


6.08 


1899-1900. 





.07 





.35 


.86 


.65 


.69 


.03 


.53 


1.26 


1.45 


.08 


5. 97*1900 


5.77 


1900-01... 





Tr. 


Tr. 


.30 


1.43 





2.08 


4.77 


1.07 


.01 


.77 


.02 


10. 45 1901 


9.49 


1901-02... 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.06 


.28 


.41 


.02 


1.70 


1.57 


1.86 


.21 


.06 


Tr. 


6. 17 1902 


11.49 


1902-a3... 


.92 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.06 


1.53 


3.58 


.69 


2.27 


1.17 


1.40 


.14 


Tr. 


11.76 1903 


6.09 


1903-04... 





Tr. 


Tr. 


.07 


Tr. 


.35 


.04 


1.50 


2.17 


.15 


.12 





4.401904 


6.61 


1904-05... 





Tr. 


Tr. 


.17 





2.46 


2.16 


5.90 


2.98 


.30 


.35 


Tr. 


14.32 1905 


16.36 


1905-06... 


.16 





.50 


.25 


3.38 


.38 


.98 


2.62 


4.68 


.98 


.72 


.03 


14.68 1906 


14.90 


1906-07... 


Tr. 


.10 


.12 


.03 


.62 


4.02 


3.27 


.45 


1.62 


.13 


.07 


.19 


10.62 1907 


7.95 


1907-08... 


.03 








1.71 


.05 


.43 


2.80 


2.41 


.61 


.35 


.16 





8.55 1908 


8.59 


1908-09... 





.64 


.20 


.15 


1.00 


.27 


3.57 


1.76 


2.62 


.02 


Tr. 


Tr. 


10. 23 j 1909 


14.14 


1909-10... 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.02 





2.39 


3.76 


2.00 


.19 


1.30 


.08 


.05 





9.79 1910 


5.75 


1910-11... 


.01 


.05 


.17 


1.35 


.40 


.15 


3.35 


4.92 


.92 


.65 


.01 


.01 


11.99 1911 


11.77 


1911-12... 


.12 





.10 


.28 


.02 


1.39 


.66 





5.72 


2.13 


.17 


.16 


10.72 


1912 


10.56 


1912-13... 


.14 


.26 





.89 


.40 


.03 


1.19 


2.40 


.42 


.08 


.07 


.09 


5.97 


1913 


7.30 


1913-14... 


.06 


.02 


.02 


Tr. 


2.23 


.72 


3.59 


1.90 


.36 


.85 


.08 





9.83 


1914 


10.90 


1914-15... 








Tr. 


1.05 


.86 


2.21 


4.91 


3.62 


.33 


1.15 


.28 


Tr. 


14.41 


1915 


13.62 


1915-16... 


Tr. 





Tr. 





.73 


2.60 


7.56 


.66 


.98 


.01 


.01 


Tr. 


12.55 


1916 


11.56 


1916-17... 


.02 


.01 


.25 


.87 


.05 


1.14 







































" " " ' 


UJJJJ. 


Maximum 


1.29 


1.95 


1.59 


2.12 


3.38 


7.71 


7.56 


9.05 


7.88 


2.91 


2.17 


Tes 


25.97 




27.59 


Minimum 





























.01 








3.87 




3.02 


Mean 


.06 


.10 


.08 


.36 


.94 


1.80 


1.92 


1.94 


1.46 


.62 


.31 


.06 


9.74 


.... 


9.66 



PRECIPITATION. 



19 



Precipitation, in inches, at Los Angeles, Cal., 1877-1916. 









1 




1 


^ 


>> 


>> 








^• 


jj 




ot' 


1 


1 


a 


g 


03 


i 


.d 






a . 2 


1 


>• 

3 


< 


o 
1 


9 

1 


1 


3 


^ 
^ 




i 

< 


1 


June 

Seas( 
Year 


a 
a 

< 

20.86 


1877-78. - . 
1878-79. .. 











0.86 


0.45 


3.93 


3.33 


7.68 


2.57 


1.71 


0.66 


1 1 
0.07 21.261878 





Tr. 





.14 


Tr. 


4.70 


3.59 


.97 


.49 


1.19 


.24 


.03 11.35 1879 17.41 


1879-80. .. 











.93 


3.44 


6.53 


1.33 


1.56 


1.45 


5.06 


.04 





20.34 1880 18. a5 


1880-81 . . 


Tr. 


Tr. 





.14 


.67 


8.40 


1.43 


.36 


1.66 


.46 


.01 





13.13 1881: 5.5.3 


1881-82... 





Tr. 


Tr. 


.82 


.27 


.52 


1.01 


2.66 


2.66 


1.83 


.63 


Tr. 


10.40 1882; 10.74 


1882-83... 








Tr. 


.05 


1.82 


.08 


1.62 


3.47 


2.87 


.15 


2.02 


.03 


12.1l'l883! 14.14 


1883-84.. . 


Tr. 








1.42 





2.56 


3.15 


13.37 


12.36 


3.58 


..35 


1..39 


38. 18 1884' 40. 29 


1884-8.5.. . 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.39 


1.06 


4.«>J 


1.05 


Tr. 


.01 


2.00 


.06 


Tr. 


9.21188.5 10. .53 


1885-86 . . 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.26 


5.52 


1.& 


7.72 


1..38 


2.50 


3.29 





.01 


22.31 1886 16.72 


1886-87... 


0.24 


0.21 





.01 


1.18 


.18 


.20 


9.25 


.24 


2.30 


.20 


.04 


14.05 1887 16.02 


1887-88. . . 


.07 





0.15 


.12 


.78 


2.67 


6.03 


.77 


3.15 


.11 


.02 


Tr. 


13.87 18881 20.82 


1888-89... 


.03 


.08 


Tr. 


.36 


4.01 


6.26 


.25 


.92 


6.48 


.27 


.62 





19.28 18891 33.26 


1889-90. . . 





.28 


.33 


6.96 


1.35 


15.80 


7.83 


1.36 


.66 


.22 


.03 


.02 


.34. 84 1890 12. 69 


1890-91... 





.03 


.06 


.03 


.13 


2. .32 


.25 


■ 8.56 


.41 


1.26 


.31 





13. .36 1891 12.84 


1891-92... 


Tr. 





.06 








1.99 


.88 


3.19 


3.39 


.22 


2.06 


.06 


11.851892 18.72 


1892-93. . . 





.01 





.33 


4.40 


4.18 


6.29 


2.27 


8.52 


.19 


.06 


.03 


26.28 1893 21.96 


1893-94.. . 








Tr. 


.75 


.20 


3.65 


.94 


.49 


..37 


.13 


.20 


Tr. 


6. 73 1894 7. 51 


1894-95.. - 


Tr. 


.01 


.73 


.02 





4.62 


5.84 


.46 


3.77 


.46 


.19 


.01 


16.11 1895 12.55 


1895-96.. . 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.24 


.80 


.78 


3.23 


Tr. 


2.97 


.19 


..30 


Tr. 


8.511896; 11.80 


1896-97... 


.02 


.01 


Tr. 


1.30 


1.66 


2.12 


3.70 


5.62 


2.31 


.02 


.10 


Tr. 


16.86 1897 


14.28 


1897-98. . . 


Tt. 








2.47 


.01 


.05 


1.26 


.51 


.98 


.03 


1.75 


Tr. 


7.0611898 


4.83 


1898-99.. . 


.07 


Tr. 


.02 


.09 


Tr. 


.12 


2.64 


.04 


1.81 


.18 


.04 


.58 


5. .59 1899 


8.69 


189^1900. 





.01 


Tr. 


1.59 


.90 


.90 


1.17 


Tr. 


.99 


.54 


1.81 


Tr. 


7.91 1900 


11.30 


1900-01-. . 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.26 


6.53 


Tr. 


2.49 


4.38 


.45 


.68 


1.50 


Tr. 


16.29 1901 


11.96 


1901-02... 


Tr. 


.09 


.03 


1.88 


.46 





1.62 


3.35 


2.98 


.16 


.03 


Tr. 


10. 60 1902 


13.12 


1902-03... 


Tr. 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.40 


2.08 


2.50 


2.10 


1.52 


6.93 


3.77 


Tr. 


.02 


19.321903 14.77 


1903-04... 





Tr. 


.43 


Tr. 





Tr. 


.14 


2.68 


4. .50 


.97 


Tr. 


Tr. 


8.72il904 11.88 


1904-05... 


Tr. 


.17 


.28 


.69 





2.45 


2. .57 


6.06 


6.00 


..35 


.95 





19.52 1905' 19.19 


1905-06... 








Tr. 


.08 


2.98 


.20 


3.&5 


2.47 


7.35 


.69 


1.02 


.01 


18.65 1906 21.46 


1906-07... 


.02 


.03 


.05 





.85 


5.12 


7.02 


1.83 


4.12 


.16 


.07 


.03 


19.301907 


15.30 


1907-08... 








Tr. 


1.19 


Tr. 


.88 


5.04 


3.66 


.18 


.52 


.25 





11.72!l908 


13.74 


1908-09... 


Tr. 


.08 


1.22 


.25 


1.08 


1.46 


7.27 


5.20 


2.51 


Tr. 





.11 


19.181909 


23.92 


1909-10... 





Tr. 


.04 


.28 


1.51 


7.00 


1..53 


.11 


1.86 


.30 








12.63 1910 


4.89 


1910-11... 


.04 


Tr. 


.01 


.82 


.15 


.07 


6.70 


2.91 


5.15 


.28 


.02 


.03 


16.181911 


17.85 


1911-12... 


Tr. 





1.23 


.16 


.10 


1.27 


.07 





6.99 


1.66 


.12 





8.60 


1912 


9.78 


1912-13... 


Tr. 








.56 


.35 


.03 


2.01 


9.16 


.33 


.35 


.05 


.58 


13.42 


1913 


17.17 


1913-14... 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.03 


Tr. 


3.00 


1.66 


10. .35 


7.04 


..58 


.47 


.43 


.09 


23.65 


1914 


23.91 


1914-15... 


.01 








.31 


.20 


3.73 


5.42 


5.09 


.60 


.81 


.88 


Tr. 


17.05 


1915 


16.67 


1915-16... 








Tr^_ 





1.35 


2.52 


13.30 


1.82 


.90 


Tr 


.03 





19.92 


1916 


23.29 


1916-17... 





Tr. 


. 77 


2.71 


.09 


3.67 
















""""** 

















" " " " 




Maximum 


^ 


.28 


1.23 


6.96 


6.53 


15.80 


13.30 


13.37 


12. .36 


5.oe 


2.06 


1.39 38.18 




40.29 


Minimum 




















.07 





.01 


Tr. 





5.59 




4.83 


Mean 


.01 


.03 


.14 


.72 


1.23 


2.78 


3.49 


3.13 


2.92 


.94 


.44 


.08 15.78 




15.92 



20 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Precipitation, in inches, at Santa Barbara, CaL, 1S67-1916. 



j 




< 


1 
e 

eg 


1 ® 


1 
1 


O 




H 


1 


< 


1 

1 


1 


"a 


1 

1 




1867-68. . . 


«0.02 


aO.01 








2.31 


12.67 


3.97 


2.00 


1.08 


2.44 0.72 


1 




1 
<:25. 22 1868 


^?,^'>. 


18(>S-G9. . . 














1.25 4.26 3.2(1 


2.12 


4.22 


.46 . 2( 





15. 77 181.9 11. 78 


1869-70. . . 











i 0.30 


.a5 .57 .25i 5.87 


.&3 


.99 .74 


ao? 


10 27 1S70 11.47 


1870-71... 











! 1.04 


.27 1.41' .86 2.92 


.02 


2.02 .37 





8.91 187L 14.67 


1871-72. . . 











.09 


1.83 


6.56 2.53j 1.81 


.18 


1.80 


j .1^ 


14.94 1872 10 87 


1872-73. . . 





.02 


.05 








4.34' .58' 5.48 


.05 











10.521873 11.64 


1873-74. . . 











1 


.27 


5.26 4.54 3.17 


.78 


.28 .14 





14.44 1874 12.12 


1874-75. . . 











1 1.91 


1. 30 1 14. 84 . 18 


.38 


.10 





18. 71 1875 22. 34 


1875-76. . . 














6.53 


.31 7.5(i 5.67 


2.73 


.2' 








23. 07 1876 IC. 55 


1876-77. . . 











.32 





2. 72: 


.82 


.18 .45 





4.491877 8.61 


1877-78. . . 














1.32 


3.12 7.17 11.73 


2.47 


3.34 .29 


.07 


29.511878 30 55 


1878-79. . . 











.32 





5. 16! 5. 24 . 71 


.34 


1.00 .21 





13. 58 1879 14. 70 


1S79-80. . . 











.41 


1.62' 4.57i 1.30 10.86 


1.15 


5.71 








2o. tU 1S80 29. 30 


1880-81... 











.25 


.28, 9.73 


2.83: .30 


1.25 


.5J 








15. 23 1881 


8.16 


1881-82. . . 








.44 


1.47 


.33 .95 


\.U 2.38 


5.74 


1.63 





.20 


14. 27 1882 


12.32 


1882-83. . . 











.37 


.77 .10 


2.18' 2.92 


3.64 


.2S 


2.79 


.35 


13.4l'l883 


16.25 


1883-84. . . 











1.32 


2.76 


6.33 9.68 


9.77 


2.6C 


.39 


1.62 


34. 47 1S84 38. 82 


1884-85. . . 











1.02 


.79; 6.62! 1.23 .07 


.35 


3.0c 








13.08 188.^! 17.15 


18S.=>-86. . . 











.19 


g.84i 2.47 


5.12i 1.19 


2.03 


3.4C 








24.24 1886 13.86 


1886-87. . . 











.39 


.87 


.86 


.31 8.64 


.13 


1.43 


1 -33 


.03 


12.991887 17.09 


1887-88. . . 








.38 


.31 


1.10 


4.43 


10.15 1.30 


3.86 


.16 


.02 


Tr. 


21.711888 26.80 


1888-89... 


Tr. 


Tr. 


.03 


.07 


5.62 


5. 59; .29 1. 29 


7.31 


.4S 


.76 


.13 


21.581889 32.77 


1889-90. . . 











8.65 


3.21 


10 64 


5.32 2.96 


1.10 


.31 


.18 


.06 


32. 43 1890 


15.49 


1890-91... 








1.50 


.05 


.48 


3.53 


.45i 7.92 


1.56 


1.57 


..30 





17.361891 


14.38 


1891-92. . . 








.15 








2.43 


1.10 


2.55 


2.95 


.46 


1.12 





10. 76 1892 


19.37 


1892-93. . . 











.26 


4.27 


6.66 


4.41 


3.10 


7.80 


.38 


.09 





26.971893 


19.61 


1893-94. . . 











.82 


. 07 2. 94 


.99 


.76 


.29 


.24 


.91 





7. 02 1894 


10 09 


1894-95. . . 


.12 


Tr. 


1.36 


.68 


.07 4.67 


6.25 


.67 


1.99 


.46 


.02 


.05 


16.34 1895' 11.69 


1895-96. . . 


Tr. 








.55 


.771 .93 


6.84 





2.37 


1.78, .08 


.05 


13.37 1896 18.87 


1896-97. . . 


.40 








.92 


3.51 


2.92 


4.35 


3.65 


2.73 


.02 




i 





18.501897 12.19 


1897-98... 











1.44 








.63 


1.39 


.28 


Tr. 


L25 





4. 99 1898 7. 22 


1898-99. . . 


Tr. 





3.17 


.14 





.36 


4.48 





2.78 


.64 





.78 


12.35 1899 15.06 


1899-1900 . 











2.06 


1.97 


2.35 


2.32 


.05 


1.58 


.42 


1.90 


.01 


12.661900 10 50 


1900-01... 


.02 


Tr. 


.04 


.15 


3.99 


.02 


4.86 


3.65 


.16 


2.07 


.34 


.10 


15.401901 15.27 


1901-02. . . 


.06 


.09 


.36 


2.42 


1.16 


Tr. 


1.36 


4.40 


2.89 


1.40 


.07 





14.2119021 17.85 


1902-03. . . 











L48 


4.01 


2.24' 2.06 


1.63 


6.12 


2.91 


' .27 


.02 20.741903' 13.06 


1903-04. . . 








Tr. 


Tr. 


.05 


Tr. 1 .46 


4.69 


4.40 


1.89 


.09 


11.5,S1904' 20.82 


1904-05. . . 





.10 


7.15 


.51 


Tr. 


1. 53 3. 73 


8.22 


6.40 


.51 


1.44 


.05 29.64 1905, 21.93 


1905-06. . . 


.18 





.03 


.16 


1.14 


.07 4.26 


3.67 


9.96 


.83 


2.40 


Tr. i 22.70 1906 27.97 


1906-07. . . 


Tr. 


.01 








.35 


6.46j 12.46 


2.34 


5.64 


.27 


Tr. 


.lej 27.721907| 28.93 


1907-08. . . 





.03 


Tr. 


6.23 


Tr. 


I.80' 4.29 


5.96 


.21 


.49 


.20 





19.211908! 16.83 


1908-09... 








1.16 


.20 


1.84 


2.48 15.67 


7.92 


6.91 





.03 


.08 


36. 29 1909 43. 23 


1909-10... 


Tr. 


.01 


.17 


.57 


2.34 


9.53 2.91 


.08 


3.62 


.39 








19.621910 1095 


1910-11. . . 


.02 


Tr. 


2.56 


.29 


.33 


.75 


14.21 


4.92 


.7.76 


1.02 


.03 


.05 


31.94 1911 30 74 


1911-12. . . 


Tr. 





.12 


.28 


.02 


2.33 


.42 





9.48 


2.12 


L58 


Tr. 


14.35 1912, 14.09 


1912-13. . . 


Tr. 





Tr. 


.28 


.21 


Tr. 


3.14 


6.58 


.64 


L04 


.19 


.50 


12. 58 1913' 18.56 


1913-14... 


.09 


.07 


.17 


Tr. 


3.43 


2.71 15.91 


7.30 


.95 


.70 


.03 


.16 


31. 52 1914! 29. 64 


1914-15... 


.05 








.12 


.04 


4.38 4.94 


8.03 
1.89 


1.15 


.97 


1.57 


Tr. 


21.251915 21.42 


1915-16. . . 








.05 





.()5 4.06 17.24 


1.71 


.30 


Tr. 





25.90,1916 32.19 


1916-17...' 





.11 


1.90 


2.82 


in' 6.12 














1 1 


















i 


Maximum 


.40 


.11 


7,15 


8.65 


9.84i 12.67 17.24 


11.73 


9.96 


5.73 


2.79 


1.62 


36.29....I 


43.23 


Minimum 














.25 





.02 











4.49 




7.22 


Mean 


.02 


.01 


.42 


.82 


1.42 3.27 4.68 


3.56 


2.92 


1.14 


.44 


.10 


18.64 


.... 


18.60 



a Interpolated. 
INTENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF IIAINFAI.L. 

The magnitude of the flood resulting from a given amount of 
precipitation is determined largely by the intensity of the rainfall 
and its distribution through the month. The records of the United 
States Weather Bureau, supplemented by records from private 
parties, give the information concerning excessively heavy rainfall 



PRECIPITATION. 21 

at San Diego, Los Angeles, Squirrel Inn, and Campo, which is pre- 
sented in the following paragraphs : 

San Diego. — A self -registering rain gage was installed in San Diego 
in 1893, but was not in operation during the storms of January, 1916, 
so that the rate of fall is unknown. The total rainfall recorded from 
January 15-18, inclusive, was 2.90 inches. 

Records collected by William A. Edwards, M. D.,^ give the follow- 
ing maximum records for 24 hours rainfall: 

Inches. 

Dec. 3, 1873, 10 p. m. to night of Dec. 4 2.52 

Nov. 9, 1879, morning to 8.10 p. m 2. 75 

Dec. 27, 1879, 6 a. m. to Dec. 28, 6 a. m 2. 55 

Jan. 12, 1882, 3.50 a. m. to Jan. 13, 3 a. m ^2. 49 

The heavy rain of December 28, 1896, was the maximum recorded 
to that date on the self-registering gage and fell at the following 
rates: 1 minute, 0.19 inch; 5 minutes, 0.32 inch; 10 minutes, 0.47 
inch; 1 hour, 0.79 inch. 

Records in the San Diego office of the United States Weather 
Bureau show that on March 15, 1905, the rate of fall was as follows: 
5 minutes, 0.32 inch; 10 minutes, 0.41 inch; 15 minutes, 0.58 inch; 
30 minutes, 0.74 inch; 1 hour, 0.94 inch; 2 hours, 0.95 inch. A rate 
of 1 inch in an hour has never been recorded at San Diego. 

Los Angeles, — ^The heaviest rainfall during January, 1916, began 
at 1.05 p.m., January 16, and ended at 9.30 a.m., January 18; the 
total for this period was 5.74 inches. From 3.17 a. m. to 3.29 a. m. 
the rate was as foUows: 5 minutes, 0.20 inch; 10 minutes, 0.42 inch,; 
15 minutes, 0.46 inch."^ 

Other heavy rainfalls, occurring in 1889, have been reported by the 
Los Angeles office of the United States Weather Bureau as follows: 
From December 11,8 p. m., to December 12, 8 p. m., total rainfall 4.30 
inches. From December 24, 8 p. m., to December 25, 8 p. m., 2.72 
inches. The rainfall on December 24, from 9.45 p. m. to 10.45 p. m., 
is estimated at 1 to 1.25 inches. 

Squirrel Inn. — ^The total precipitation from January 14-19, inclu- 
sive, at Squirrel Inn, north of San Bernardino, on the south slope of 
the San Bernardino Mountains, at an elevation of 5,280 feet above 
sea level, was 27.80 inches, or an average of 4.63 inches for each da}". 
The 24-hour precipitation January 16-17 was 16.81 inches, one of 
the heaviest for that period of time ever recorded in the United 
States, and a new record for California. 

Campo. — ^A rainfall of the '^Sonora" type occurred at Campo 
August 12, 1891. The total rainfall for this storm, which lasted more 

1 Reprintod in Littoral California, p. 3, from the Philadelphia Medical Journal, Oct. 11, 1902. 
a Correct: amount published in LittoralCalifornia in error. 

' Abstracted from United States Weather Bureau Monthly Weather Review, vol. 44, No. 1, p. 57, Jan- 
uary, 191G. 



22 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



than 24 hours, was 16.10 inches, according to Mr. Archibald Campbell, 
cooperative observer. In a period of about 80 minutes the rainfall 
was 11. .50 inches. 

In the following table the daily distribution of rainfall during the 
mouth of January, 1916, is compared with that of the months of 
December, 1SS9, and February and March, 1884, which were the 
months of previously recorded maximum rainfall : 

Daily precipitation, in inches, for months of maximum rainfall at San Diego and Los 

Angeles, Cal. 





San Diego. 


Los Angeles. 


Day. 


Decem- 
ber, 
1889. 


Janu- 
ary, 
1916. 


Febru- j 
ary. 

1884. 


March, 
1884.a 


Decem- 
ber. 
1889. 


Janu- 
ary, 
1916. 


Febru- 


March, 
1884. 


1 '. 


0.94 . 

.'62" ; 

.12 . 




0.44 , 
.43 i 

1.52 1 
.65 1 
.34 
.80 
.16 




1.11 
. 77 
Tr. 
.11 


0.60 
1.07 


1.61 
2.*t 
.45 
.29 
.60 
.70 
.62 




2 

3 


'"'o'oi' 


Tr. 
34 
. 17 
.25 
.57 
.09 

Tr. 
.79 
.15 


Tr. 
1.78 


4 

5 


.'26 


1.97 
1 98 


6 


.59 . 
.10 . 

.52 r 

'.U '. 

1.18 
1.75 
.07 

.'62' 

.01 
Tr. . 
.01 . 


.06 
.37 

.as 

.46 


88 




.26' 

.27 




.18 
16 


S 


.41 
.29 
.17 


9 





2 67 


10 


.37 ! 
.50 
.01 1 


.49 
.07 
Tr. 


.05 


11 


.02 

4.30 

.59 

:f2 




12 








13 








14 

15 

Ui 

17 


.53 

.09 
.95 
1.55 
.31 
.80 


.12 
1.35 

.96 
1.31 
.09 


1.39 
.35 


.38 
.04 
1.07 
4.16 
.82 
.43 


.05 
2.02 
1.38 
2.18 

.07 


1.00 
.12 

."64 


18 

19 


.01 


.io 
.01 
.01 


Tr. 


20 










21 














22 








........... 

1.61 

1.10 

2.72 

.51 








23 


1.13 . 
.44 
.53 ! 
.05 1 
.03 1 
Tr. ! 


"Tr!"'" 
.21 
.22 
2.19 
.06 
.17 




.26 


.01 
.11 
.33 
.33 
2.28 




.05 


24 






25 




."72" 

Tr. 
.50 
.26 
.02 
.36 




.10 


2«; . . 




.05 


27 




.51 


28 








.75 


29 




.43 




Tr. 


30 








.03 


31 


.00 j. 













.04 












Total 


7.71 


7.56 


9.05 : 


a23 


15.80 


13.30 


13.37 


12.36 



a Total for March, 1867, was 7.88 inches, but daily record is not available; March, 18^, was the next 
highest. 

FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 

CREST DISCHARGE. 

The heavy storms of January, 1916, fell on ground already satu- 
rated, and the water was therefore rapidly carried into the stream 
channels. Detailed information concerning the discharge of the 
streams during these storms is given in the run-off records (pp. 40-78) 
and is siunmarized in the following tables, which show the crest dis- 
charge of the streams and the total nm-off compared with the rainfall. 



CREST DISCHARGE. 23 

Crest discharges, in second-feet, of streams in southern California for January, 1916. 



Station. 



Cottonwood Creek at Morena 

reservoir. 
Otay River at Lower Otay reser- 
voir, 

Jamul Creek near Otay 

Sweetwater River nearDescanso, 
Sweetwater River near Dehesa... 
Sweetwater River at Rudolph 

ranch. 
Sweetwater R iver near Jam acho . 
Sweetwater River at Sweetwater 

reservoir. 
San Diego River at diverting 

dam. 

Do 

San Diego River at Capitan 

Grande dam site. 

San Diego River near Santee 

San Diego River at SanDiego 

Boulder Creek at Cuyamaca 

reservoir. 

San Vicente Creek at mouth 

Switzer Canvon at San Diego 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa 

Grande. 

Do 

Santa Ysabel Creek nearRamona. 

Do 

San Diegtiito River at Carroll 

dam site. 
Santa Maria Creek near Ramona . 
San Luis Rey River near Mesa 

Grande. 

Do 

San Luis Rey River near Pala. . . 
San Luis Rey River at Ocean- 
side. 

Do 

Santa Ana River near Mentone . . 
Santa Ana River at San Ber- 

nardlBo. 
Lytle Creek at San Bernardino. . 
San Jacinto River near San 

Jacinto. 
San Jacinto River near Elsinore. . 
South Fork of San Jacinto River 

at Hemet resers-oir. 
San Gabriel River near Axusa. . . 
LosAngeles River at LosAngeles. 
Los Angeles River near Domin- 

guez Junction. 

Arroyo Seco near Pasadena 

Arroyo Seco at Los Angeles 

Sespe Creek near Sespe 



Date. 



Time. 



Jan. 27 4-6 p.m. 
...do....' 



..do. 
..do. 
..do. 
..do. 

..do. 
..do. 



4.30-5.30 p.m. 
Jan. 18 : 6 a. m 



Gage 
height 
(feet). 



Jan. 28 I 6p.m. 
Jan. 27 



--do 

'...do "p. m. 



25.1 



Drainage 

area Dis- 

(square charge, 
miles). 



.do. 



6p.m. 



...do 

...do. ... 7 a. m. 
Jan. 17 



Jan. 27 Noon... 
Jan. 17 j 9p.m.. 
Jan. 27 I 7p.m.. 
...do 1-3 p.m. 



...do... . 5 p. m 

Jan. 17 1.45 p.m. 



11.0 



Jan. 27 4.30 p.m. 

...do 

Jan. 17 



21.2 

15.9 
12.8 

18.0 
18.1 



' Jan. 27 9.30 p.m. 

Jan. 17 

!...do 

I Jan. 18 9.40 a. ra. 



Jan. 28 11 a. m. 
Jan. 27 4 p.m., 



Jan. 18 7 a. m. 



19.0 



12.0 



Jan. 17 9.30 a.m. 



Jan. 17 



9.3 

"is." 7" 



120 



69.8 
43.7 

112 

135 

172 
181 



102 



375 

4.34 

12 

74.9 
3.55 
53.4 

53. 4 
110 
110 
299 

57.3 
209 



15,356 

023,500 

18.100 
9,870 
24,29.5 
27,530 

43.002 
45.500 

4,710 



565 



565 
189 



106 



717 

65.8 



16.4 
*2i6"' 



Run-off 

per 
square 
mile. 



128 

238 

259 
226 
217 
204 

250 
2.51 

46 



15.800 
636.300 


155 
192 


70.200 
75,000 
2,393 


187 
173 
199 


18.600 

668 

10,600 


248 
188 
199 


21,100 
14,300 
28.400 
72,100 


395 
130 
258 
241 


7.140 
24,400 


125 
117 


58.600 
75,000 
40,000 


280 
233 
71 


95,600 
29,100 
40.000 


169 
154 


16 000 




30.000 


278 


14,000 
9,550 


195 
1 ''' 


40,000 
7.268 


1 180 


31.113 




3.150 
6.215 
18,600 


1 192 







a Reported by George Cromwell, city engineer, San Diego, (See Engineering News, vol. 75, No. 15, p. 
718.) 
b Mean of two estimates computed from cross sections and slope data. 



24 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

Sumvmry of run-off of streams in southern California for January, 1916. 





Period 
(Janu- 
ary). 


Drainage 

area 
(square 
miles). 


Rim-oflf. 


Mean 
rainfall 


Station. 


Totalin 
acre-feet. 


Depth in 

inches on 

drainage 

area. 


Per cent 
of mean 
rainfall. 


on drain- 
age area 
January 
14 to 30 
(inches). 


Cottonwood Creek at Morena reservoir 


lto31 

16 to 31 

lto31 

lto31 

13 to 31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 
lto31 

16 to 31 

14 to 31 
lto31 


120 
181 
102 
434 

12 

53.4 
110 
299 

57.3 
209 
240 
322 
465 
565 

65.8 
222 


41,200 
111.000 

92,800 
213,000 

12.300 

66,400 
104,000 
257,000 

33,500 
141,000 
165,000 
201,000 
257,000 
269,000 

29,100 
148,000 


0.43 
11.55 
17.06 

9.19 
19.22 
23.29 
17.75 
16.14 
10.96 
12.68 
12.91 
11.76 
10.36 

8.92 

8.30 
12.57 






Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam 


53 
62 
46 


21.8 
27.6 
19.9 


San Diego River at San Diego 


Boulder Creek near Julian 


Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa Grande 


77 
69 
68 
52 
51 
51 
46 
43 
39 


30.3 
25 8 


San Dieguito River near Bernardo 

Santa Maria Creek near Raniona . . 


23.6 
21 2 


San Luis Rev River near Mesa Grande 

San Luis Rev River near Nellie . 


24.9 
25 4 


San Ltiis Rey River at Pala.'. 


25 7 


San Luis Rev River at Bonsall 


24 3 




22.6 


South Fork of San Jacinto River at Hemet 




San Gabriel River near Azusa 















CONDITION OF RESERVOIRS DURING FLOOD. 

MORENA RESERVOIR. 

The Morena reservoir, on Cottonwood Creek 8 J miles upstream from 
the Barrett dam, has a capacity of 46,000 acre-feet. It forms a part 
of the municipal water-supply system of San Diego. ^ 

The following is a description ^ of the flood of January, 1916, at 
this reservoir: 

The flood brought into the resen'oir a large quantity of debris which accumulated 
in front of the racks that protect the radial gates, and so choked the flow that when 
the reservoir level was 3 feet above the spillway level the flow actually passing over 
the spillway beneath the open gates was only 3 inches deep. Under these conditions 
the water rose within 18 inches of the parapet crest and waves actually carried debris 
over the top. 

Two effects of this pressure are apparent. A downstream movement of the upper 
face of the dam which showed in the alignment of the parapet as about 2 or 3 inches 
at the center of the structure, and a settlement of the top of the rock fill amounting 
to 2 or 3 inches. The amount of leakage could not be observ'ed, but George Cromwell, 
city engineer of San Diego, who was at the dam during the high water, affirmed that 
he believed such leakage as there was came through the face of the structure and not 
around the ends or from beneath. Leakage some time prior to recent storms amounted 
to 1,500,000 gallons per day. 

After going down to the bottom of the intake tower during the height of the flood, 
Mr. Cromwell reported that structure was standing the pressure well, only slight seep- 
age appearing. The intake gates were all in working order and all were left open to 
lower the reser\-oir level as much as possible. The debris was being removed by as 
large a force of men as could be readily assembled. Orders to lower the reservoir 3 
feet below the spillway level by means of the intake gates were left at the dam. 

> O'Shaughnessy, M. M., Construction of the Morena rock-fill dam, San Diego County, Cal.: Am. Soc. 
Civil Eng. Trans., vol. 75, p. 27, 1913. 
» Eng. Record, vol. 73, No. 7, p. 228, February 12, 1916. 



U. 8. GEOLOQICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE l( 




A. VIEW UP LOWER OTAY RESERVOIR, AFTER FAILURE OF DAM. 
Reservoir gage in foreground. 




B. VIEW DOWNSTREAM AT SITE OF LOWER OTAY DAM, AFTER FAILURE. 
Spillway at extrenne left 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURREY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE III 




A. SWEETWATER DAM, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. BREAK AT RIGHT END OF SWEETV/ATER DAM, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



CONDITION OF RESERVOIRS. 25 



LOWER OTAY RESERVOIR. 



Two reservoirs known as Upper and Lower Otay have been con- 
structed as a part of the water-supply system for the city of San 
Diego. Upper Otay is at the lower end of Procter Valley and Lower 
Otay* is on the main stream directly south. The capacity of the for- 
mer is about 3,300 acre-feet; that of the latter about 40,000. Lower 
Otay dam was overtopped by the flood on January 27, 1916, and 
destroyed. 

The following is a description of the failure of Lower Ota}^ dam 
byRoyA. Sdentr^ 

The rain on January 27 was extremely heavy, and by noon the water had risen so 
high that Mr. Weuste, in charge at the dam, deemed it advisable to open the outlet 
gate. This failed to check the rise, and it was realized that the dam would probably 
be overtopped before evening. Men were accordingly dispatched to warn residents 
in the valley to move to higher ground. Word to this effect was also sent out from 
the telephone exchange at National City. Most of the inhabitants took advantage of 
this warning. 

At 4.45 p. m. the water had reached the top of the dam and had seeped through and 
filled the boxes that were sunk in the top to allow an examination of the steel core. 
Water began running down the lower face on the east side of the dam at approximately 
4.50 p. m. About this time several spouts or small streams of water appeared on the 
lower face of the dam, in one instance loosening a large bowlder which rolled down to 
the bottom. From this time on, the destruction was very rapid. The lower face of 
the fill quickly melted away, thus removing the support from the core wall. At 5.05 
p. m. the tension was so great that the steel diaphragm tore from the top at the center, 
and the dam opened outward like a pair of gates. The released water rushed through 
and filled the canyon to a point approximately 20 feet below the top of the dam. It 
required 2^ hours for the reservoir to empty. 

A huge wall of water, variously described as from 6 to 20 feet high, rushed down the 
valley, covering the distance from the dam site to Palm City, about 10 miles, in 48 
minutes, carrying all before it. * * * 

A thorough examination of the dam site was made on January 31 and February 1. 
Practically all the fill was washed completely away. The steel core was deposited 
in varpng-sized sections along the valley, a large part being found at Palm City, 10 
miles below the dam. The core wall had torn itself loose from both of the side walls, 
the foundations remaining intact. * * * 

Three-quarters of a mile below where the dam had stood a piece of the diaphragm 
was observ^ed, to which the angle iron forming the bottom of the steel plate was riveted, 
showing that the extreme bottom had been torn loose. On the west side, behind the 
remaining core wall, was a small part of the fill, composed of rock of small sizes, none 
of which was over IJ feet in diameter and grading from that size to coarse gravel. If 
this may be considered a fair sample of the remainder of the fill, it is easy to under- 
stand its melting away as rapidly as described. 

The canyon below the dam, prior to the failure, was considerably restricted and 
filled with large boulders. The action of the water removed all the loose rock and 
thoroughly stripped to bedrock both sides of the canyon as high as the water reached, 
the line of demarcation being clearly defined. The stripping was done in a most 
thorough manner, no particle of soil remaining in any of the niches or crevasses. 
This area was hea\ily wooded with brush. [See PI. II, B.] 

1 Schuyler, J. D., Reservoirs for irrigation: U. S. Geol. Sun-ey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 4, pp. 637-640, 
1S97. 
» Eng. News, vol. 75, No. 7, pp. 334-33G. February 17. 1916. 



26 SOUTHERN" CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

An interesting feature was observed in that for lialf a mile below the dam in practi- 
cally every pocket or niche in the rock was to be found a ri^-et head. An examination 
of the remaining parts of the steel core showed it to be in a perfect state of preservation, 
no rust or corrosion being noticeable. The destruction of the plate for the most part 
had taken place along the riveted seams, though one or two cases in which the sheets 
had torn were observed. 

Other accounts of the failure have also been published.* 

SWEETWATER RESERVOIR. 

The celebrated Sweetwater masomy dam is on Sweetwater River 
about 8 miles above its mouth at an elevation of 145 feet.^ 

The follomng description of the breaks in Sweetwater reservoir 
was prepared from information supplied by Mr. J. F. Covert, chief 
engineer, Sweetwater Water Co.:^ 

On January 27 the flow into the reservoir exceeded the combined capacity of spill- 
way and blow-off valves, and the level behind the dam raised imtil the parapet was 
overtopped at 2.20 p. m. At 4.30 p. m the flow over the parapet had increased to a 
depth of 3.5 feet, and the 50-foot length of earth-fill dike at the north end of the struc- 
ture was overtopped. The water washed away this fill, broke the concrete-core wall, 
and cut a by-pass around the dam through the bedrock foundation. The break is 
about 75 feet wide, with a maximum depth of 30 feet below the level of parapet. [See 
PI. III.] 

This break was made by degrees, no water appearing below the dike until it was 
actually overtopped, and the cutting into the foundation was gradual. At 7 p. m. 
the reservoir level was lowered only 0.3 foot. Water flowed over the parapet about 
seven hours after the break occurred, it is believed, which would mean that the flood 
continued to overtop the dam for about nine hours. 

An earthen dike 650 feet long stood some distance from the dam, where a low point 
in the ridge occurred. This dike had a puddled-clay core and was 23 feet high at its 
mid-point. At 3.50 p. m. on the day of the flood peak the water level reached the 
top of this dike and began to spill over the downstream slope. This melted as the 
water continued to rise, and when the flood subsided the dike had been swept out 
cleanly except for about 10 feet of its length. The material on which the dike stood 
was eroded by the outpouring water to such an extent that the reservoir rim at this 
point is now 15 feet below the spillway level. 

CITYAMACA RESERVOIR. 

Cuyamaca reservoir is formed by an earthen dam on Boulder 
Creek, a tributary of San Diego River. The capacity given by a 
35-foot dam is 11,400 acre-feet.^ 

The effect of the flood on this reservoir has been described as 
follows : ^ 

The impending danger of the recent flood was realized in time to draw down the 
Cuyamaca reservoir considerably. In fact, the amoimt drawn off by the blow-off 

1 Eng. News, vol. 75, No. 5, pp. 236-239, Feb. 3, 1916; Eng. Record, vol. 73, No. 7, p. 226, Feb. 12, 1916. 

« Schuyler, J. D., Reservoirs for irrigation: U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. .4, pp. 669- 
682, 1897; also details of design and last increase in height, in Eng. Record, Sept, 2, 1911, p. 264. 

» Eng. Record, vol. 73, No. 7, p. 225, Feb. 12, 1916. 

♦ Schuyler, J. D., Reservoirs for irrigation: U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 4, pp. 698- 
700, 1897. 

i Eng. Record, vol. 73, No. 7, p. 228, Feb. 12, 1916. 



DAMAGE DUE TO FLOOD. 



valve through the dam was about 1,000,000,000 gallons. The peak of the flood brought 
the reservoir level up to within 14 inches of the crest of the dam, with both spillways 
flowing over 4 feet deep. A few washouts on the conduit constituted the only dam- 
age suffered by this system, which includes, in addition to the Cuyamaca dam, three 
smaller reservoirs on tributaries of the San Diego River. 

DAMAGE DUE TO FLOOD. 

An inventory of the damage in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, River- 
side, Orange, and San Diego counties, believed to be practically 
complete except for minor losses, is given in the following pages. 
Every effort was made to obtain the best information available, and 
all public officials, engineers, and others to whom requests were made 
for estimates regarding losses in their departments or business gave 
hearty cooperation. A number of the statements were prepared 
within a few months after the storms, and hence were based upon 
estimated costs rather than actual expenditures. The loss of life was 
determined from reports obtained from the coroners of each county. 
The total direct damage is estimated at about $10,000,000. This 
estimate is based on the best available information, which is summa- 
rized in the following table: 

Summary of flood damage in southern California January, 1916. 



Character of damage. 


San Diego 
County. 


Orange 
County. 


Riverside 
County. 


San 

Bernardino 

County. 


Los 
Angeles 
County. 


Total. 


Lives lost 


22 

$1,500,000 

72,850. 

1,225,500 


4 

$350,000 
32,000 
57,000 




$350,000 

50,000 

67,450 


2 
$150,000 




$500,000 

19,000 


28 


Agricultural lands 


$2,850,000 

173,850 

1,349,950 

96,165 




■\Vater supply . . ...... 






94,565 


1,600 


Railroads a 








1,795,201 




652,350 


81,500 


128,600 


155, 130 


254,638 


1,272,218 


TelefiTaph and telephone lines a 
Misoellaneous 


126,100 


231,427 




9,000 


200 




240,627 











o The damage to railroads and telegraph and telephone lines was not reported in such shape that it 
could be segregated by counties. 

LOSS OF LIFE. 

Twenty-two persons were drowned in San Diego Coxmty. Most 
of them were living in Otay VaUey and were swept away by the 
flood wave which was released from Lower Otay reservoir when the 
dam failed. A few lives were lost in Mission VaUey, on San Luis 
Rey River. Li Orange County four persons were drowned; two 
were in a cottage which floated down Santa Ana River, one was swept 
from the highway by the force of the water, and the other was in a 
wagon which was overturned. In San Bemardmo County two men 
were drowned. No deaths were reported in Riverside and Los 
Angeles counties. 



28 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FI.OODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

AGRICULTURAL LANDS. 

San Diego County. — ^The valley lands along Tia Juana, Otay, Sweet- 
water, San Diego, San Dieguito, and San Luis Rev rivers were 
flooded. A large part of the bottom land was either cut up by new 
stream channels or covered with a large amoimt of sand, brush, and 
trees. A part of the land in each valley was quickly cleared, but 
there is a large area reclaimable only by large expenditm-es of time 
and money, and there are other large areas whose agricultm-al value 
was almost completely destroyed. An example is afforded by a 
tract of land in Otay Valley formerly used as a truck garden and 
valued at S 1,000 per acre; after the flood 11 acres of this land were 
sold at a foreclosm-e sale for $100. The total damage to farm land was 
approximately $1,500,000. (See Pis. IV, V, VI.) 

Orange County. — ^The total damage to agricultural lands in Grange 
Coimty was approximately $350,000. 

Biverside County. — ^The damage to lands in Rivei'side County is 
believed to have been at least $350,000. 

San Bernardino County. — ^The damage to orange groves m San Ber- 
nardino County was considerable, and a number of the alfaT" i ranches 
were practically ruined. The total damage was about $150,000. 

Los Angeles County. — ^The principal injury to lands in Los Angeles 
County resulted from deposits of silt and the cutting of new stream 
channels. The damage was approximately $500,000. 

MUNICIPAL PROPERTY. 

San Diego. — The 300-foot concrete arch bridge across San Diego 
Kiver at Old Town was wi-ecked (see PI. VII, ^4) and five other 
bridges and numerous culverts were destroyed or seriously injured. 
The streets and roads in various parts of the city were washed or 
covered with debris. An approximate estimate of the total damage 
was $72,850. 

San Bernardino, — ^The water main and several smaU pipe lines 
were washed out; two bridges were completely destroyed; and several 
sidewalks, cm^bs, and streets were damaged or destroyed. In addition 
several houses were washed away. The total damage was approxi- 
mately $32,000. 

San Jacinto. — The damage to the water-supply systems, streets, 
and private property within the city hmits was approximately 
850,000. 

Pomona. — The principal damage resulted from washes and fills 
in the streets. The estimated cost of repairs was $15,000. 

Pasadenxi. — The damage to street improvements amounted to about 
$1,000, but otherwise there was no loss within the cit}". 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 428 PLATE IV 




A. VIEW UP MISSION VALLEY, SAN LUIS REY RIVER, IN 1915. 




B. VIEW UP MISSION VALLEY, SAN LUIS REY RIVER, FEBRUARY 21, 1916. 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE V 




A. VIEW ACROSS MISSION VALLEY. SAN LUIS REY RIVER, AT D. JONES'S RANCH, AFTER FLOOD OF 

JANUARY, 1916 




B. VIEV/ UP SAN LUIS REY RIVER AT JUNCTION V^ITH MOOSA CANYOixl CREEK, AFTER FLOOD 

OF JANUARY, 1916. 



DAMAGE DUE TO FLOOD. 29 

Los Angeles. — ^A few unimportant wooden bridges were washed 
out and new channels formed. The damage was reparable at a 
cost of 83,000, which includes the removal of debris that collected 
at pile bents of several bridges. 

WATER STTPPLY. 

City of San Diego. — The failure of Lower Otay dam and the loss 
of the stored water was the most important damage (PI. II). About 
18 miles of Didzura conduit was filled with debris and 2,800 feet of 
flume and concrete-lined section was destroyed. The road up Cotton- 
wood Creek to Morena was seriously washed and blocked by slides. 
The washout of the pipe line across Sweetwater Valley prevented the 
delivery of water from this system. The loss of wells, pumps, and 
collecting pipe lines at the IVIission VaUey plant shut off the supply 
from this source. The total estimated damage was $897,500. 

Sweetwater Water Co. — The north abutment of Sweetwater dam, 
consisting of a concrete-paved earth fill with reinforced concrete core 
wall, was overtopped to a depth of 3.64 feet and destroyed. The 
released water eroded the bedrock, foundation at this end of the 
dam, leaving an opening about 50 feet deep and 100 feet long. SHght 
damages to the south abutment and spillway did not reduce the 
capacity of the reservoir. An earth dike, 650 feet long and 23 feet 
high, on the south side of the reservoir, about a mile above the dam, 
was overtopped and completely washed out. These breaks reduced 
the capacity of the reservoir from 35,000 acre-feet to 12,000 acre-feet. 
Temporary repairs increased the reservoir capacity to 25,000 acre- 
feet. In Sweetwater Valley 15,140 feet of pipe lines were washed out 
and other sections shifted or filled \sdth sand. An approximate 
estimate of the cost of necessary repairs and enlarged spillway was 
$200,000. (See PI. Ill, p. 25.) 

Cuyamaca Water Co. — The principal damage was the loss of flume 
along upper San Diego Kiver. The estimated cost of repairs to 
flume and pumping plants was $60,000. 

South Coast Land Co. — ^The water supply for the town of Del Mar 
is obtained from wells on Santa Fe ranch in San Dieguito Valley, 6 
miles above the mouth of the river. This pipe Hne was practically 
washed out. The new pipe line, completed about the middle of May, 
follows a new course along the foot hills. 

The high water on January 17 did not damage the steam pumping 
plant in San Luis Rey Valley, but that of January 27 completely 
wrecked this plant and 2,000 feet of 16-inch pipe. Only one small 
section of the concrete building remained above the sand after the 
flood. The boilers were found 50 feet from their original position 
and covered with 30 feet of sand. The total damage to property 
of this company was about $60,000. 



30 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

Escondido Mutual Water Co. — The principal damage was caused 
by slides which either filled or destroyed sections of the canal. About 
8,000 yards of rock and earth were removed from the canal. Repairs 
were completed April 18 at a cost of about S8,000. 

Temescal 'Water Co. — The main pipe lines and ditches were but 
slightly damaged. The loss on the tributary Hues was much greater. 
In Mahew Canyon, 1,100 feet of 8-inch pipe was washed out. The 
dam at Lee Lake in Temescal Canyon failed, and a mile or more of 
18-inch pipe hue below the dam was washed out. The total damage 
was about 813,750. 

Riverside Wat^ Co. — The damage reported, including the rebuilding 
of the headworks, was approximately 810,000. 

Lake Hemet Water Co. — The damage to headworks, canal, and pipe 
hues was about 843,700. 

An-aJieim Union Water Co. — The concrete head gate was imder- 
mined and washed out, several thousand feet of main canal were 
seriously injured, and considerable damage was done to the distribu- 
tion system and roads. The total damage was about 857,000.^ 

POWER PLANTS. 

Pacific Light d: Power Corporation. — The Mentone plant on Santa 
Ana River was stopped on January 17 and started April 1. The 
masonry diversion dam, two masonry sand boxes, and 400 feet of 
concrete-lined canal were wrecked. A corner of the power plant was 
undermined, but the building was uninjured. The semicircular wood 
stave flume crossing the river from power house to North Fork ditch 
was completely carried away. The road up the canyon to the intake 
was practically all washed out. The transmission line was damaged 
but Uttle, as it was on high ground. The total cost of repairs to this 
plant was 825,000. 

The intake and 200 feet of pipe line were washed out at the Sierra 
plant on San Antonio Creek, as was also the road up San Antonio 
Canyon. The total cost of repairs was 81,600. 

Southern California Edison Co. — The headworks and flume No. 8 
at Santa Ana River plant No. 1 were destroyed, the buildings were 
seriously damaged, and a large amount of debris was deposited in 
the tailrace and on the floor of the power house. The siphon across 
Santa Ana River from the tailrace of plant No. 1 to intake of plant 
No. 2 collapsed. Plant No. 2 was not othersvise damaged, although 
a severe wash threatened to undermine the power house. The flimie 
across the wash between !Mill Creek power houses Nos. 2 and 3 was 
completely wrecked, and the pressure pipe line was washed out in 
several places. There were also minor damages to the headworks 
and various sections of flume on the canal lines. The intake for the 

1 From report to directors and stockholders on construction wwk toe 1916. 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE VI 




A. WINSTON RANCH, MISSION VALLEY, SAN LUIS REY RIVER, FEBRUARY 21, 1916. 




B. CANFIELD RANCH, NEAR BONSALL. SAN LUIS REY RIVER, FEBRUARY 21, 1916. 



U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE VII 




A. SAN DIEGO RIVER AT SAN DIEGO, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 
Showing damage to county and Atchison, Topeka &i. Santa Fe RaiKvay bridges. 




B. SANTA MARGARITA RIVER NEAR MOUTH, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 
Showing danaage to State highway and Atchison, Topeka 8c Santa Fe Railway bridges. 



DAMAGE DUE TO FLOOD. 31 

Lytle Creek plant was seriously injured and the tailrace siphon was 
destroyed. Many of the wooden poles in the transmission line do>\Ti 
Santa Ana Canyon were washed out. Several towers were also un- 
dermined along lower Santa Ana, San Gabriel, and Los Angeles rivers. 
The damage to the entire system was approximately So6,200. 

Southern Sierras Power Co. — The damage to the system of the 
Southern Sierras Power Co. was principally confined to the transmission 
lines. Temporary repairs were completed in three days. The esti- 
mated damage was $13,365. 

RAILROADS. 

AtcTiison, Topelca & Santa Fe Railway Co. — The greatest damage 
to property belonging to the Santa Fe Railway Co. was on the line 
between Los Angeles and San Diego, where several miles of track, 
including many bridges and trestles, were entirely washed out. On 
the Fallbrook branch, which is 18 miles long, 4,500 feet of bridges 
was lost, 6^ miles of track disappeared, 4 J miles was washed off 
roadbed, and 4.V miles covered with sand. The damage in the other 
districts was less severe. Traffic was restored on the double track 
between San Bernardino and Barstow February 2 ; between San Ber- 
nardino and Redlands February 3 ; and on Temecula branch Febru- 
ary 29. The line between Los Angeles and San Diego, including 
Escondido branch, was restored to trafiic February 19. An approxi- 
mate estimate of the total damage, made shortly after the flood, was 
$1,000,000. This estimate was based simply on replacing the track 
and roadbed to its original position and did not take into account 
any work that will be necessary to protect the track from future 
floods. (See Pis. VII and VIII, A.) 

Southern Pacific Co. — The damage to the Southern Pacific system 
was estimated at $216,000. The first through eastbound passenger 
train after the flood left Los Angeles January 30, was held at 
Colton until 6.20 p. m. the following night and arrived at Yuma, 
Ariz., at 7.59 p. m. February 1. The first westbound passenger 
train after the flood reached Los Angeles at 1 a. m. February 1. The 
Tustin branch was opened to traffic February 7. The coast and 
valley lines north of Los Angeles were not seriously damaged. 

Los Angeles db Salt Lalce Railroad Co. — The excessive run-off began 
to weaken the structures on the Salt Lake line on January 17. In the 
Pasadena district traflSc was delayed imtU January 21; in the first 
district — Los Angeles to Riverside — until January 22 ; and in the San 
Pedro district until January 28. Several bridges were injured and 
track was badly washed in many places. The total estimated cost of 
the repairs necessary to restore the lines in Los Angeles and River- 
side counties was $50,000. 



32 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

Pacific Eh'ctric Railway Co. — This company, in addition to its 
city lines, controls an extensive suburban system extending in all 
directions from Los Angeles. It serves parts of Los Angeles, San 
Bernardino, Kiverside, and Orange counties. There were many 
interruptions to traffic during the flood period caused by washouts, 
flooded tracks, slides, and injury to bridges. Through traffic to 
Los Angeles over the Riverside-Rialto line, stopped by the loss of 
the Santa Ana bridge on January 17, was not completely resumed 
until March 3. Through service on the San Pedro-Los AJageles line 
was resumed January 31. The Newport line was not restored at 
Signal Hill until April 5 and was then operated with a single track 
until May 19. The total damage to property of this company was 
about $141,575. 

San Diego <& Southeastern Railway Co. — The total trackage of this 
company, including sidings and spurs, was 92.99 miles. The flood 
washed out 19.65 miles, or more than 21 per cent of the total track. 
The damage to the eastern division was caused principally by the 
floods on San Vicente Creek and San Diego River. AH tracks in the 
Sweetwater Valley were washed out by the water released from 
Sweetwater reservoir after the break in the upper section of the dam. 
The failure of the Lower Otay dam resulted in the loss of all tracks 
in Otay VaUey. The total estimated damage in the eastern and 
southern divisions was $318,626, including $30,000 for roUing stock. 

Los Angeles cfc San Diego Beach Railway Co. — ^This road is within 
the city limits of San Diego. The damage included a trestle bridge 
872 feet long and 2,700 yards of fill. The cost of the repair work was 
$14,000. Service was partly interrupted from January 11 to Feb- 
ruary 29, and whoUy from January 29 to February 11. 

San Diego <& Arizona Railway Co. — ^The damage to this road 
resulted from the failure of the Lower Otay dam and the break in the 
Sweetwater dam. The cost of replacement and repairs to grade, 
track, culverts, and bridges was estimated at approximately $55,000. 

HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES. 

San Diego County. — Practically all important bridges in the county 
were washed out or became useless on account of changes in the 
channels of the streams. (See PI. IX.) AU roads were badly washed 
and some sections will require relocation when permanent repairs are 
made. Slides were numerous in the mountain districts, and aU travel 
stopped until temporary repairs could be made. The estimated dam- 
age to coimty highways was $370,000 and to bridges, $225,000. The 
State highway to San Diego was closed until the middle of March. 
Several bridges or their approaches, including those across Santa 
Margarita Creek (PL VII, B), San Luis Rey River (700-foot rein- 
forced-concrete arch bridge, PI. VIII, A), and San Dieguito River, 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 428 PLATE VMI 




A. VIEW UP SAN LUIS REY RIVER FROM MOUTH, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 
Showing damage to Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and State highway bridges. 




B. DEBRIS ON BEACH AT OCEANSIDE AND DELTA BUILT UP BY SAN LUIS REY RIVER, AFTER 

FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE IX 




A. HIGHWAY BRIDGE ACROSS SAN LUIS REY RIVER AT PALA, BEFORE FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. WRECK OF HIGHWAY BRIDGE ACROSS SAN LUIS REY RIVER AT PALA, AFTER FLOOD OF 

JANUARY, 1916. 



DAMAGE DUP: TO FLOOD. 33 

were destroyed. Except for slight damage to shoulders and a few 
culverts, the concrete roadway was not mjured. The damage to State 
highway, including repairs made during the storms, was about $57,350. 

Orange County. — ^Almost the entire mileage of mountain roads will 
have to be rebuilt, as the grades were badly washed or buried by 
slides. The other graded and oiled roads were slightly damaged by 
deposits of debris and occasional washouts. The injury caused by 
undermining and shoulder cutting of paved highway was nominal. 
The loss of bridges was not considered, as they were old wooden 
structures which should have been replaced. The total damage was 
about $45,000. In addition, the State highway loss was approxi- 
mately $36,500, including repairs made during the storms. 

Riverside County. — ^The damage to 15 bridges, including 4 across 
Santa Ana River, was about $78,100. Several roads were badly 
washed out and the loss was approxunately $32,000. The injury to 
State highway, including repairs made during the storms, was about 
$18,500. 

San Bernardino County. — Nearly 40 bridges, including 3 across 
Santa Ana River, were washed out or damaged. The cost of replace- 
ment and repairs was about $67,524. The roads in every section of 
the county were seriously damaged. On Turner Avenue, Cuca- 
monga, the entire street was washed out from 4 to 12 feet in depth 
for a distance of 4J miles. Cajon and Mill Creek roads were badly 
washed and required extensive repairs. The damage to roads and 
culverts was about $80,656. The injury to State highways, including 
repairs made during the storms, was about $6,950. 

Los Angeles County. — ^The estimated damage to roads and bridges 
was $228,388. In addition, the. State highway loss, including repairs 
made during the storms, was about $26,250. A slide in section B, 
route 4, made it necessary to relocate the road. 

TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES. 

^Yestem Union Telegraph Co. — Practically all through lines were 
damaged by washouts at the principal stream crossings. Service 
was inteiTupted four days at the San Gabriel crossing, and the San 
Diego line closed for approximately a week. The total damage was 
about $23,500. 

Postal Telegraphs Cable Co. — The main lines to San Francisco, Saji 
Diego, and the East were damaged and service internipted. Tlie 
Los Angeles-San Diego line was washed out at practically every river 
crossing and at numerous other points. Service between Los Angeles 
and San Diego was stopped for nearly a week, and the other lines 
were closed from one to three days. The total cost of repairs was 
about $5,000. 

106922°— 18— wsp 426 3 



34 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

Pacific Tele/phone <& Telegraph Co. — ^The cost of reconstructing 
exchange lines, various sections of toll lines, and river crossings, 
either destroyed or rendered unsafe, was $97,600. Service, particu- 
larly over toll lines, was more or less interrupted for a period of 
approximately 606 hours. 

MISCELLAN20TJS DAMAGES. 

San Diego Consolidated Gas <& Electric Co. — ^The transmission lines 
and distribution system along San Diego River were washed out from 
El ^lonte to False Bay. There were also extensive washouts along 
Sweetwater River at Jamacho and from Sweetwater dam to San 
Diego Bay, on Otay River from Otay dam to San Diego Bay, and 
along Tia Juana River from Tia Juana to the Pacific Ocean. The 
principal damage was the loss of wood pole lines, copper wire, trans- 
formers, and miscellaneous electric-line material. The service in San 
Diego and immediate vicinity was not seriously interrupted. The 
lines to the more important towns were reestabhshed within two 
weeks, but some of the remote farming districts were without electric 
service for six weeks or more. The total damage to the gas and 
electric departments, corrected for value of salvaged material, was 
$70,527. 

Western Salt Co. — ^The losses consisted of 170 acres of salt groimd 
(which was covered with a deep deposit of silt), 2,500 tons of salt, 
a large quantity of brine in the ponds, and injury to machinery. 
The total damage was given as $85,500. 

Fenton-Sumption-Barnes Co. — This company operates a gravel-wash- 
ing plant in Otay Valley, about a mile from San Diego Bay. This 
plant was a complete loss, for after the flood there was not an indica- 
tion on the surface to show its location. The value of this equipment 
was $35,000. In addition, the soil was entirely removed from 100 
acres of bottom land which had been purchased for about $450 per 
acre. The business loss was complete from January 27 to May 1. 

Indian reservations. — There was considerable damage to irrigation 
systems, buildings, and other improvements. In San Diego County 
the loss was approximately $38,000 and in Riverside County about 
$9,000. 

Los Angeles Harbor. — ^About 2,030,000 yards of silt was deposited 
in the channels during the flood. These deposits did not reach the 
outer harbor or even the main turning basin and main entrance chan- 
nel to an extent sufficient to interfere with commerce or require imme- 
diate dredging. At the extreme head of the harbor a channel 
reopened by a private corporation was filled with silt. There was 
also considerable silting in the East Basin chamiel. 

Long Beach Harbor. — Navigation was greatly inconvenienced by 
very heavy silting in the different channels and basins. The total 



COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS FLOODS. 



35 



deposit of silt was about 1,000,000 yards. The indirect damage to 
the various industries in the harbor district was probably much greater 
than the expenditures which will be necessary for dredging. 

United States Geological Survey. — At the time of the flood the 
Survey was maintaining 23 river-measurement stations in the region 
covered by this report. AM these stations were seriously damaged. 
Tlio following equipment was lost : Six water-stage recorders, including 
wells and shelters; 17 staff gages; 10 cars and cables; and 8 concrete 
controls. In reequipping the stations it was found necessary, on 
account of great changes in the stream channels, to relocate two 
stations and abandon six. The total damage to equipment was 
about $2,600. 

COMPARISON OF FLOOD OF 1916 WITH PREVIOUS FLOODS IN 
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 



BASIS OF COMPARISOir. 

To determine whether the flood of 1916 was more or less severe than 
previous floods in southern California, a search was made of the early 
records, and many old residents of the country were interviewed. The 
results of this work are summarized in the following pages. Of par- 
ticular interest is the record of wet and dry years, compiled by Mr. A. 
Campbell, who has lived in San Diego County since 1869. Information 
as to conditions in most of the years prior to 1840 was taken from 
records of the Mission Fathers. 

1770 Drought. 

1786 Copious rainfall. 

1787 Rainfall insufficient; crops 

short. 
1791 Extremely dry; no rain for 

whole year. 
1794 Rainfall insufficient; crops 

short. 

1795 Very dry. 

1811 Flood year. 

1815 Flood year. 

1819 Short in rain and crops. 

1825 Great flood changed course of 

Santa Ana River. 
18261 

1827 1 Dry years (Gen. Vallejos.) 

1828] 

1832 Short in rain and crops. 

1840-41 Dryest year ever known. 

1841-42 Wettest year ever known. 

1842^3 Very open and dry. 

1843-44 \eYy dry; no grain grown in 

Sacramento Valley 
1845 Drought. 



1845-46... 


. Wet in north; dry in southern 




California; cattle starved. 


1846-47 - . . 


. Considerable rain; crops good. 


1848-49... 


.Most snowy winter known; 




rainfall moderate. 


1849-50... 


.One of the wettest and most 




flood y winters. 


1850-51... 


.Open; rainfall moderate. 


1853 


-Big floods and snow. 


1850-1856. 


.Flood and good years. 


1856-57... 


. Dryest in 20 years. 


1857-1862. 


.Medium rainfalls. 


1862-63... 


.Dry years. 


1863-1869. 


-All good wet years. 


1869 


. A very exceptional year. In 




October the thermometer 




registered 110°, and a rain- 




fall in December is esti- 




mated at 12 inches in 24 




hours. 


1869-70... 


. Dry season. 


1870-71... 


.Dry season. 


1872-74... 


. Fairly wet seasons. 


1875-76... 


• Good rainfall. 



36 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



1876-77 Dry season. 1895-6-7 . ^. Three good wet years. 

1877-1882 . .Good seasons. 1897-1900. .Three dry years. 

1882-83 Dry years. 1901-1910 . . Fairly good wet years. 

1883-84 Wettest winter known. 1910-1913. .Dry years at end of season. 

188^1893 . .Series of good years. 1912-13 Dry year. 

1893-94- . . -Short rainfall. 

The following additional information was obtained from ''A history 
of California floods and droughts," by J. M. Guinn: 

1822. A flood covered the lowlands and rose to a greater height than ever before known. 

1851-52. A severe flood year in southern California. At Old Fort Miller on head- 
waters of San Joaquin River, Dr. W. T. Edgar, surgeon of the post, observed a rain- 
fall of 46 inches during January and February, 1852. 

1862. Santa Ana River at Anaheim ran 4 feet deep and spread in an unbroken sheet 
to Coyote Hills, 3 miles beyond. It rained 30 days in succession, beginning Decem- 
ber 24, 1861. 

FLOODS OW TIA JTTANA RIVER. 

Information concerning early floods on Tia Jiiana River was 
also furnished by Mr. Campbell, who considers the flood of 1884 the 
greatest in total run-off that has occurred during this time. The 
peak of that flood, however, was not so great as the peaks of the 
floods of 1891 and 1916, the only years in which, since 1869, water 
from Tia Juana River overflowed into the Otay drainage basin. In 
February, 1891, snow was above the fences at Mr. Campbell's ranch 
in Laguna Mountain divide, and one drift was 21 feet deep. This 
snow melted during a five days' rain. The lower Tia Juana Valley 
was flooded about as much in 1891, when the large hotel at Hot 
Springs, Mexico, was washed away, as in 1916. In comparing these 
floods the effect of storage at Morena reservoir in 1916 should be 
considered. 

SWEETWATER RIVER. 

Mr. C. H. EUis, sr., who has lived near Descanso for 35 years, 
states that the floods of 1884 and 1916 were the largest on Sweet- 
water River within that period. At the site of the Geological Survey 
gaging station the water rose 3 to 4 feet higher in 1916 than in 1884. 
In 1916 the channel was wider and at least 2 feet deeper than in 
1884. It is his opinion that the flood of 1916 was approximately 
double that of 1884. 

The information presented in the following table was taken from 
a copy of the diary of the late WiUiam S. Gregg, Dehesa, Cal. : 



COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS FLOODS. 
Record of flood of 1884. 



37 



Date. 


Rain- 
fall. 


Remarks. 


Date. 


Rain- 
fall. 


Remarks. 


1884. 


Inches. 




1884. 


Inches. 




Feb. 2- 3 


2 


River came with flood Feb. 


Mar. 27 


1 








3. (Total rainfall, Octolser 


28 


li 








to date, 10 inches.) 


29 


1 




5 


^ 




30-31 


River rose a little. 


6 


2 




Apr. 10 


li 




7 


i 




12-13 


]■ 




10-11 


1 


River rising. 


16 


(") 




15 


li 


Cows over the river, can't 


28 


i 








get back. 


29 






16 


li 


River higher than for 20 


May 1 


i 




17-18 


2i 


years. 
River higher. Over road to 
San Diego in two places. 


15 
18 


li 


Cloudburst up by Harbin- 
son's. 


25 




Cattle, horses, etc., turned 


19 


1 


Last night. 






over river. 


20 
June 1 


U 


River high. 

Total rainfall for season, 34f 


Mar. 3- 6 


2 








inches. 


7 


i 




1895. 






10 


1 




Jan. 16 




Sweetwater River very high. 


14-15 










higher than for 32 years. 


15 


f 








Great flood on. Farm cov- 


23 










ered with water from hill to 


26 










hill Jan. 17. 



o Showers. 

It is of interest to note that Mr. Gregg considered the flood of 1895 
greater than that of 1884. The record ^ at Sweetwater reservoir 
shows that the total run-off of Sweetwater River for the year ending 
June 30, 1895, was 73,412 acre-feet; the record of J. F. Covert, 
chief engineer, Sweetwater Water Co., shows that the run-off at 
Sweetwater reservoir for January 16 to 31, 1916, was 111,000 acre- 
feet. (See pp. 48-49.) Mr. Covert gives the total run-off from Oc- 
tober, 1915, to September, 1916, as 160,580 acre-feet. 

SAN DIEGO RIVER. 

The highest known discharge into Cuyamaca reservoir, stated in 
terms of maximum rate of inflow for 24 hours^ is as fo flows: 

Second-feet. 

1895, January 17 1, G30 

1906, March 1, 120 

1916, January 27 2, 400 

The following information was obtained in an interview with 
Mrs. Martha Swycaffer, who came to San Diego in 1854. 

Mrs. Swycaffer states that the flood of 1862 was greater than 
any other within her time. The rain began in the fafl of 1861 and the 
rainy season lasted until June, 1862. Beginning Christmas Day, a 
rain set in which lasted for at least six weeks, during which time 
there was not sunshine enough to dry a handkerchief. At about the 
end of this storm the rain set in more heavfly, causing the big flood. 

Before the peak the river occupied two channels, one on each side 
of the Swycaffers' home but a considerable distance from it. The 



1 McGlashan, II. D., and Doan, If. J., Water resources of California, part 3: V. S. (leol. Survey Water- 
Siipply Paper 300, p. 493. 1913. 



38 SOUTFTRRN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

SwycafFer liouse was a two-story brick-veneered building. As the 
flood increased it was necessary to move into the upper story of 
the building, all the lower doors and windows being left open to ease 
the force of the flood. The Swycaffer house was the only one in the 
San Diego River bottom that stood, and all inhabitants in the 
vicinity sought refuge in the second story. The refugees were 
rescued from the second-story window in a surf boat manned by 
sailors, and Mi-s. Swycaffer and thi'ee babies were then sheltered 
in an adobe house in Old Town. During the night a dike built for 
the protection of Old Town was overtopped, and her refuge was 
again flooded. The family was carried to the Old Palms and placed 
under the one which was out of water; the ground at the other was 
flooded. 

The flood of 1862 was of long duration for a southern California 
stream, as it maintained approximately its peak height for 24 hours. 
Mrs. Swycaffer does not consider the flood of 1884 as large as that of 
1916. In her opinion the flood of 1916 was next m magnitude to that 
of 1862. 

Mrs. Swycaffer was familiar with, what is now the Foster and Lake- 
side country. At Lakeside the high water reached to the old adobe 
ranch house, or an elevation of the present Lakeside store. At 
Foster the flood height reached nearly to the top of an inmiense oak, 
which was removed when the railway was budt. This flood would 
have washed out all the present buddings in Foster. Previous to 
1862 the present site of San Diego (New Town) was on rounded 
hifls; the draws and guflies now existing were begun m 1862. When 
Mrs. Swycaffer first visited the Warner Hot Springs the springs 
broke out on a graduaUy sloping plam; the flood of 1862 made the 
topography as it is to-day. 

Mrs. Swycaffer knew everyone in Old Town in 1862, and no flood 
within the memory of any or in the traditions of the place was com- 
parable with it. 

SAN LtriS REY RIVER. 

In the early days houses and ranch buildings were built on high 
ground, and the bottom lands along the river channels were used 
only as pastures. As the number of settlers increased the agricul- 
tural lands became more valuble, and at the time of the floods of 1916 
the bottom lands had reached a high state of cultivation and budd- 
ings were erected where they would be most convenient without any 
particular thought of the damage from excessive floods. 

Mr. P. F. Hubbard, who has lived near San Luis Rey River since 
1873, considers that the only flood in his time that is comparable with 
that of 1916 occurred in 1884. The flood of 1916 was 2 feet higher at 



COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS FLOODS. 39 

his well and the channel was wider than in 1884. The bottom lands 
m 1884 were covered with brush and trees and the channel did not cut 
much. As there were no cultivated fields or builduigs m the path of 
the flood the damage was slight. 

Mr. Edward Canteriui, who has lived in San Luis Rey Valley since 
1884, states that there was more rain in 1884 than in 1916 and the 
flood was of longer duration, but he does not consider that the maxi- 
mum discharge was as great as m 1916. The river did not have a 
well-defined chaimel prior to 1891. 

Immediately after the flood of January 27, 1916, Father Doyle, of 
the Pala Mission, San Diego County, talked with an old Indian who 
had lived along San Luis Rey River for many years. The Indian 
stated that this flood was greater than that of 1862. The old mission 
ditch at Pala, constructed more than 100 years ago, was washed out 
in a number of places by the flood of 1916, but previous floods had not 
injured it. Father Doyle considers the flood of 1916 the greatest 
which has occurred since the valley has been settled. The flood of 
1862 he places second in size, and that of 1884, third. 

Edward R. Bowen, in a paper on the San Luis Re}^ floods of Jan- 
uary, 1916,' says: 

The entire San Liiis Rey Valley was inundated, the stream extending from hill to 
hill — a distance of probably 1^ miles — and covering an area of over 1,000 acres. The 
drift along the coimty road on the south side of the valley indicated a 6-foot depth of 
water at that point. * * * It is probable that the enormous quantities of silt and debris 
carried by the stream in the first flood, together with that carried by the subsequent 
one, so built up and raised the old channel of the river that it was at a greater elevation 
than the adjacent valley lands. When the second flood came down this channel, 
its banks were overtopped and a new channel formed, cutting across the valley in a 
northeast to southwest direction, taking a long sweep to the westward at about the 
middle of the valley and retui-ning to an old course near the narrows, * * * All 
farms in the valleys of the lower river were completely destroyed and three people were 
drowned. The entire valley is covered "vsith deposit of sand and silt to an average 
depth of at least 3 feet, and in many places as much as 6 feet. Conditions along the 
upper river are not so bad. The valleys are more constricted and the stream better 
confined, although all crops along the bottom lands have been ruined. [See 
PI. IV, B, p. 28.] 

TEMECTTLA CREEK. 

Mr. F. L. Femold, of Temecula, Riverside County, reports that the 
flood of 1891 in Temecula Canyon rose to a height of about 2 feet on 
the trunk of a large oak tree on the bank at the ford. A neighbor, 
who was with hini, said that this height was very close to the peak 
of the flood of 1884. This tree was washed out during the flood of 
January, 1916, after the water had risen about 12 feet on the trunk. 
The canyon at this point is in solid rock and conditions would be the 
same for all floods. 

1 Eng. News, vol. 75, No. 8, p. 385, Feb. 24, 1916. 



40 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 191C. 

LOS ANGELES AND SAN GABRIEL RIVERS.i 

There were heavy floods on Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers 
in 1825, 1833, 1862, 1867, 1884 (2), 1886, 1889 (2), 1890, 1911, and 
1914, and it is said that serious floods occurred also in 1842, 1852, 
and 1874. From the testimony in the case of Andres Daneri v. 
Southern California Raih'oad Co., superior court of Los Angeles 
County, in 1897, the largest floods occurred in 1825 and 1833 and 
the next largest flood was in 1862. It seems to be generally agreed 
that the greatest flood since 1862 occurred in 1889. The flood table 
prepared by the United States Weather Bureau, for the period 1878 
to 1914, shows that 41 floods occurred in the vicinity of Los Angeles 
during tliis period. 

The flood of 1909 in Los Angeles River was observed by H. Haw- 
good and William MulhoUand (then superintendent of the Los 
Angeles City Water Co.). From the measured cross-section of the 
channel at the Southen Pacific Co's. crossing, on its main line east, 
and from the slope of the w^ater surface, together with personal obser- 
vations of the river at time of flood, Mr. Hawgood estimated that 
the maximiun discharge was in excess of 35,000 second-feet. The 
details of the computation are not now available. The section 
observed by Mr. MulhoUand was about 1,200 feet north of Buena 
Vista bridge. Here the surface velocity, as observed from debris 
floating down the stream, was 14 to 16 miles per hour. The depth 
of water was given as 9 feet and the width as 300 feet. The dis- 
charge, as computed from these data by Mr. Hawgood, was approxi- 
mately 45,000 second-feet. 

FLOOD RUN-OFF IN JANUARY, 1916. 

COLLECTION OF RECORDS. 

At the beginning of the first storm on January 17, Mr. Ebert 
reached San Gabriel River near Azusa, and on January 17 and 18 
he made float measurements just below the gage; the cable was not 
accessible, as the highway was washed out above the mouth of the 
canyon. January 20 he attempted to reach Santa Ana River near 
Mentone, but foimd the highway impassable east of Highland. The 
highway west of Azusa was also closed on account of the damage to 
the San Gabriel bridge. The Pacific Electric Railway was opened 
from Azusa to Los Angeles January 21. 

Mr. Ebert left Los Angeles for San Diego by the inland route 
January 24 and reached Escondido the night of January 26. The 
heavy rainfall during that night destroyed the highways in all 
directions, and he was detained there by the condition of the roads 

1 Abstracted from reports of the Board of Engineers Flod^ Control to the Board of Supervisors, Los 
Angeles County, Cal., submitted July 27, 1915, pp. 144-146 and 172-174. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 41 

until February 5, when his automobile was drawn across San Die- 
guito River at Bernardo by a four-hoi-se team, and he reached Lake- 
side that night by way of Poway grade, Miramar ranch, and Pacific 
Beach. A measurement could not be made on San Diego River at 
Lakeside, as the cable had been washed out and the river was flowing 
in a wide channel to the right of the highway bridge. The following 
day he visited Sweetwater River near Descanso, but on account of 
the damage to highways he was unable to reach any other stations 
in this territory or those on Santa Ysabel Creek and upper San Luis 
Rey River. He made the return trip from San Diego by boat 
February 9. 

In March, 1916, Mr. McGlashan and Mr. Ebert made an extensive 
trip through the region covered by this report to obtain available 
flood data and to coUect records obtained by private parties. They 
visited the river-measurement stations that were accessible at this 
time, and also a number of streams on which no stations were 
being maintained. The flood marks were still very distinct, so that 
it was possible to make numerous measurements of slope and of cross 
sections of river channels at maximum stage, and to obtain other 
data necessary for the computation of flood flow. The results were 
computed by Kutter's formula, after carefully selecting values of n. 
The base data, as well as the computed records, are here published, 
to enable any engineer engaged in a detailed study of the run-off to 
make independent computations of the flow. 

TIA JTJANA RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Tia Juana River discharges into the Pacific Ocean below San 
Diego Ba}^ near the ^Mexican boundary. Its principal tributary, 
Cottonwood Creek, rises in the Laguna Mountains of the Coast Range 
and flows southwestward about 32 miles to its junction with. Tia 
Juana River at the Mexican boundary, about 22 miles east of the 
coast line. The total drainage area of Cottonwood Creek above its 
junction with Tia Juana River is approximately 340 square mdes. 
It hes south of the Sweetwater and Otay River basins, and is the most 
southerly stream in San Diego County. Pine Valley Creek, wliich 
joins it 20 miles below its source, is its only important tributary. 

The topography of the basin of Cottonwood Creek is rough tlirough- 
out, although some valley areas are found above the 3,000-foot 
contour. Below tlfis elevation the stream flows through a deep, 
narrow canyon, broken only by a short stretch of open country with 
comparatively fight grade at the junction of Pine Valley Creek. 
Altitudes range from 600 feet above sea level, where the creek joins 
Tia Juana River, to 5,000 feet on the Laguna Mountains. 



42 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

The Cottonwood basin is poorly forested. The timber consists of 
scattered oaks, cottonwoods, and alders, which are restricted almost 
entirely to the small valleys along the stream and to the higher 
elevations. The mountain slopes are fairly well covered with brush. 

The mean annual rainfall ranges fron 8 to 10 inches along the 
foothills and from 20 to 30 inches in the mountains. 

COTTONWOOD CREEK AT MORENA RESERVOIR, CAI..» 

Location. — In the SW. \ sec. 14, T. 17 S., R- 4 E., three-fourths mile north of Morena 
Butte, 1| miles above mouth of Hauser Creek, and 8^ miles upstream from Barrett 
dam, San Diego County. 

Draikage area. — 119.5 square miles (reported by George Cromwell). 

Elevation, — About 3,000 feet above sea level. 

Discharge. — Computed from gage-height record showing storage in reservoir, cor- 
rected for waste through spillways and outlet tower. 

Spillway.— Consists of 12 openings, each Sh feet in length, controlled by independent 
radial gates. All gates were open until 7 a. m., January 29, when 11 were closed. 
At 11 a. m., January 29, 6 gates were opened and at 5 p. m. the remainder were 
opened. January 30 at 7 a. m., all gates were closed. Two gates were opened 
at 7 a. m., January 31 and the remainder at 6 p. m. 

Average depth of water in spillway was as follows: January 28, 4 feet ; January 29, 
3.25 feet; January 31, 3 feet. Considerable drift collected at the spillway which 
interfered with the operation of the gates. 

Maximum capacity of spillway, 5,380 second-feet and of outlet tower, 483 
second-feet. 

Outlet tower. — There are 5 valves in the tower. Number 4, at 99.5 feet, was 
opened January 28 at 1.30 a. m. and closed January 29 at 6.30 a. m. Xo other 
valves were opened during the month. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — January 27, 7 a. m. to 4 p. m., 8,785 
second-feet; 4 p. m. to 6 p. m., 15,356 second-feet; 6 p. m. to 12 p. m., 13,344 
second-feet. January 28, 12 a. m. to 7 a. m., 3,157 second-feet. 

The following table contains data furnished by George Cromwell, city engineer, 
San Diego, Cal. : 

1 O'Shaughnessy, M. M., Construction of the Morena rock-fill dam, San Diego County, Cal.: Am. Soc. 
Civil Eng. Trans., vol. 75, p. 27, 1913. 



FLOOD RI'X-OFF. 



43 



Gaqchright and discharge of Cottonwood Creek at Morena reservoir, Cal.,for Januan^. 

1016. 





Gage 
height 
(feet). 


Storage 
(milUon 
gallons). 


Waste. 


Run-off from drainage basin. 


Day (7 a. in.) 


Million 
gallons. 


Acre-feet. 


Million 
gallons. 


Acre-feet. 


Second- 
feet. 


j.^n 1 


118.68 
118.70 
118.71 
118.73 
118.77 
118.79 
118.82 
118.^ 
118.89 
118.92 
119.11 
119.17 
■ 119.19 
119.21 
119.72 
120.01 
124. 19 
130.00 
134.20 
135. 21 
135.80 
136.17 
136.51 
136.80 
137. 15 
137.64 
138.40 
150.50 
149.50 
149.00 
149.50 
148.50 


5, 189 

5,193 

5,195 

5,199 

5,208 

5,212 

5,217 

5,221 

5,231 

5,237 

5,275 

5,287 

5,291 

5,295 

5,39S 

5,475 

6,3*^5 

7,8^ 

9,102 

9,420 

9,634 

9,754 

9,863 

9,9.56 

10,071 

10,240 

10,511 

15,450 

15,000 

14,775 

15,000 

14,552 







4 


12.3 

6.1 

12.3 

27.6 

12.3 

15.4 

12.3 

30.7 

18.4 

116.7 

36.0 

12.3 

12.3 

416.8 

236.4 

2,793.7 

4,-509.8 

3,831.4 

976.3 

656.9 

368.4 

334.6 

285.5 

353.1 

518.8 

831.9 

17,520.5 

3,923.5 

2,072.3 

690.7 

647.7 


6.2 


2 






2 
4 
9 
4 


3.1 


3 






6.2 


4 






13.9 


5 






6.2 


6 






5 

4 
10 

6 
38 
12 

4 

4 

103 

77 

910 


7.7 


7 






6.2 


8 . -- 


! 


15.5 


9 


j 


9.3 


10 . . -. 


1 


58.8 


11 


1 


18.6 


12 . . .. 


1 


6.2 


13 


i 


6.2 


14 


:;:: l 


1.59. 4 


15 


1 


119.2 


16 


:;.: ; 


1,408.6 


17 - . -. 


:-:-|--::::;; 


1,409 
1,248 
318 
214 
120 
109 
93 
115 


2, 273. 


18 


1,931.0 


19 




492.3 


20 




331.7 


21 




185.7 


22 




168.7 


23 


1 


143.9 


24 




178.2 


25., .. 


1 


169 
271 

5,707 

1,278 

675 

225 

211 


261.6 


26 


i 


419.5 


27 

28. 


768 

1,728 
900 


2,357.6 
5, .304. 9 
2,76.3.0 


8,8^.3 
1, 978. 3 


29 : 


1,M4.8 


30 


348.2 


31. 


659 




326.6 


Feb. 1 





















Total run-off for monthj^^^p^^^J^ i^-^j^- - ;^-^-, 



acre-feet 41, 200 

e area 6. 43 



OTAY RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATTJRES. 

Otay River drains the region between Sweetwater basin on the 
north and Tia Juana on the east and south. Above Lower Otay dani 
it has a drainage area of 98.6 square miles. The general course of 
the stream is southwest, and it enters San Diego Bay at the extreme 
southern end, about 4 miles north of the International boundary. 

Above Lower Otay reservoir the stream is known as Jamul Creek, 
to which Dulzura Creek is tributary. The natural run-off from this 
area is increased by the water diverted from Cottonwood Creek 
through Dulzura conduit, into Dulzura Creek. Tlie dramage area 
of Jamul Creek is mountainous and the slopes are very steep. The 
highest point is Lyons Peak; elevation, 3,755 feet. The forest cover 
is mainly brush, except in the vicinity of the stream chamiels. 

The mean annual precipitation ranges approximately from 8 to 20 
inches. 



44 SOUTHERK' CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1016. 

OTAY RIVER AT LOWER OTAY RESERVOIR,' NEAR OTAY, CAL. 

Location. — The dam was in the extreme northwest corner of sec. 18, T. 18 S., R. 
1 E., at the head of the canyon above Otay Valley, about 16 miles southeast of 
San Diego and 8 miles east of Otay, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 98.6 square miles (measured on topographic map; includes 12.7 
square miles, tributary to Upper Otay reservoir) 

Elevation. — Top of dam was about 480 feet above sea level. 

Gage. — Vertical staff fastened to outlet tower (PI. II, A). Zero of gage, 346.65 feet 
above sea level, U. S. Geological Survey datum. The gage-height record for 
January 22-27, 1910, given in the storage table for the reservoir, was obtained 
from employees at the reservoir a short time after the dam failed. The record 
January 15-21 was published in the Engineering Record for February 12, 1916. 

Spillway. — Built of concrete at left of dam; width on bottom, 37.9 feet; width at top, 
41.5 feet; depth, 8 feet; uniform slope, 0.00365. Floor of spillway is 123.3 feet 
above zero of gage. It is stated that the spillway has the same dimensions through- 
out its length, and hence did not admit sufficient water to fill the channel for its 
entire length. The discharge of the spillway at the time the dam failed was 
4,700 second-feet according to George Cromwell, city engineer.^ John L. Bacon, 
former assistant city manager, estimated the maximum discharge of the spillway 
as 2,000,000,000 gallons daily, or 3,100 second-feet.^ 

Outlet tunnel . — There was no pro\asion for blow-off from the reservoir except through 
the outlet tunnel, which connected with the pipe line to San Diego. At the 
lower end of the tunnel there was a Y connection with a 36-inch blow-off valve, 
which was opened at noon January 27, 1916. The maximum capacity through 
this blow-off was 330 second-feet, according to George Cromwell, city engineer.* 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The maximum gage height in the reservoir 
was reported as 134.0 feet at 5.05 p.m., January 27, at which time the dam failed. 
From the table showing storage in reservoir, the rate of inflow from 4.25 p. m. to 
5.05 p. m. was 32,700 second-feet. If the maximum discharge of the spillway 
as given by the city engineer is added, the total was 37,400 second-feet, or 379 
second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 

Data concerning cross sections and slope were obtained on Jamul Creek (see 
p. 45) just above effect of backwater from the reservoir. The maximum dis- 
charge at this point was computed as 18,100 second-feet, or 259 second-feet per 
square mile of drainage area. If this same rate of run-off is assumed for the 12.7 
square miles of drainage area above Upper Otay dam, the maximum flow over the 
dam and through si:>illway did not exceed 3,300 second-feet. 

George Cromwell, city engineer,* stated that the run-off into the Lower Otay 
reservoir was 23,500 second-feet for a period of one hour prior to the failure of the 
dam . This rate would allow a run-off from the drainage area directly tributary to 
the reservoir, exclusive of Upper Otay reservoir and Jamul Creek, of 2,100 second- 
feet, or 130 second-feet per square mile, provided the crest discharges all reached 
Lower Otay reservoir at the same time. 

The maximum discharge computed from the reservoir record exceeds that pub- 
lished by Mr. Campbell by nearly 60 per cent. The run-off per square mile com- 
puted from the reservoir record is more than 50 per cent greater than that 
reported for Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam. See table of crest discharge 
(p. 23) for maximum discharge for other streams in this region. The mean rain- 
fall, computed for drainage area^bove Lower Otay dam, was 19.2 inches; that 
for Sweetwater River above Sweetwater dam was 21.8 inches. (See table, p. 11.) 

1 See pp. 25-26 for description of failure of dam on Jan. 27, 1916. 3 Idem, Feb. 3, 1916, pp. 23&-239. 
« Eng. News, Apr. 13, 1916, p. 717. * Idem, Apr. 13, 1916, p. 718. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



45 



Authority. — Data for this station were obtained in the field, from the publications 
cited, and from other reliable sources. Data collected by the city of San Diego 
were withheld because of pending litigation. 

Storage in Lower Otay reservoir for January, 1916. 

9 





Time. 


Gage 
height 

(feet). 


Available storage. 


Increase in .slorage.o 


Date. 


Million .„_,_, 
gallons. Acre-feet. 


Acre-feet. 


Second- 
feet. 


Jan. 15 




84.0 
101.0 
111.0 
118.7 
122.8 
123.3 
123.6 
123.8 
123.95 
124.0 
124.9 
127.9 
130.0 
131.3 
132.3 
134.0 


3,610 
6,230 
8,350 
10,200 
11,340 
11,490 
11,580 
11,640 
11,680 
11,700 
11,970 
12,950 
13,650 
14,080 
14,440 
15,030 


11,100 
19,100 
25,600 
31,300 
34,800 
35,300 
35,600 
35,700 
35,900 
35,900 
36,700 
39,800 
41,900 
43,200 
44,300 
46,100 






17 




8,000 

6,500 

5,700 

3,500 

500 

300 

100 

200 



800 

3,100 

2,100 

1,300 

1,100 

1,800 


2,020 
3 280 


Jg 




19 




2,870 


21 




882 


22 


7a. m 

7a. m 

7a. m 

7a. m 

7 a. m 

7 a. m 

Noon 

3p.m 

4p.m 

4.25 p.m.. 
5.05 p. m.. 


252 


23 


151 


24 


50 


25 


101 


26 





27 ... 


403 




7,500 

8,470 

15, 700 

31,900 

32,700 



a Discharge through spillway not included. 

Note. — The available storage in million gallons, given in the above table, was taken from a capacity 
curve compiled in the office of the city engineer, San Diego. Gage-height record, Jan. 15-21^ was published 
in Engineering Record for Feb. 12, 1916; Jan. 22-27 was obtained from employees of the city of San Diego 
at the dam a short time after the failure. 

JAMUL CREEK NEAR OTAY, CAL. 

Location. — In sec. 4, T. 18 S., R. 1 E., about 500 feet above highway crossing above 
Harvey ranch and well above backwater from Lower Otay reservoir at high- water 
elevation, and about 11 miles east of Otay, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 69.8 square miles (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 500 feet above sea level. 

Channel. — ComxK)sed of sand, gravel, and boulders; practically straight for the sec- 
tion covered by slope data, but curves to the left just below point where lower 
cross section was taken. Banks high and practically clean aft^r flood (PI. X, B). 
Channel apparently fairly permanent. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916.— Measurements of slope and of two cross 
sections were made March 17, 1916. Slope of water surface that day was deter- 
mined for a distance of 935 feet. The determination of high- water slope checked 
fairly well with that of the slope of the water surface March 17, but could not be 
ascertained so accurately on account of the roughness of the banks. The maximum 
discharge has been computed as follows: Mean width, 158 feet; mean area, 1,360 
square feet; mean wet perimeter, 164 feet; mean hydraulic radius, 8.3; present 
slope of water surface, 0.0071 (for 935 feet) March 17, 1916. If the value of 7iin 
Kutter's*lormula is assumed as 0.04, the discharge is 18, 100 second-feet, or 259 
second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 

SWEETWATER RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Sweetwater River rises in the south and east slope of the Cuyamaca 
Mountains of the Coast Range, flows nearly due south for 15 miles, 
then turns to the west and southwest and discharges into San Diego 
Bay south of National City. Its length is 45 miles, and its area 



46 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

comprises approximately 215 square miles, the greater part of which 
is in mountainous country. The basin is extremely narrow. It 
lies directly south of San Diego River and north of the Otay River 
and Cottonwood Creek basins. 

Tlie topography is not so rougft as that of San Diego River basin, 
although the mountains and foothills extend within 3 or 4 miles of 
the shore Une of San Diego Bay, and the valle}^ and mesa lands are 
not so extensive a^ along San Diego River. The basin is poorly 
forested. The tunber is confined almost to the immediate valleys 
of the streams and to the higher mountain areas. Tlie moun- 
tain slopes have a fairly good covering of brush, but the lower foot- 
hills are almost bare, supporting only a sparse growth of low brush. 

The mean annual rainfall varies from 10 to 15 inches along the 
foothill belt and from 20 to 45 inches in the mountains. 

A considerable area l3^ing between San Diego Bay and the footliills 
south from National City to the Mexican boundary is under a high 
state of cultivation. The greater part of this land is irrigated by 
water taken from Sweetwater River. 

SWEETWATER RIVER NEAR DESCANSO, CAL. 

Location.— In the SE. i sec. 25,, T. 15 S., R. 3 E., at Ellis ranch, 2 miles below 
mouth of Guatay Creek and about 1^ miles below Descanso, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 43. 7 miles (measured on topographic and military-survey maps). 

Elevation. — About 3,300 feet aliove sea level. 

Records available. — November 21, 1905, to January*, 1916. 

Gage. — Staff in three sections on left bank at concrete control, a short distance 
below intake of Ellis ditch; destroyed by the flood of January, 1916. Installed 
at same datum and practically same location as pre^■ious gage. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from cable at gage or by wading. No measure- 
ments' were made during the flood of January, 1916. as the highways were im- 
passable. 

Channel and control. — Channel composed of sand, fine gravel, and boulders; 
shifting. Banks are high and not subject to overflow. A concrete control 
constructed October 11, 1914, across the channel opposite original gage was 
practically destroj-ed by the flood of Januar}-, 1916. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1905-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 9.25 feet at 
5 p. m. March 24, 1906 (approximate discharge, computed from extension of 
rating curve, 3,000 second-feet): channel dry during a portion of the years 1910, 
1911, and 1913. 

Maxim CM discharge in January. 1916. — No gage-height record after Januar}'' 23, 
when gage was washed out. Measurements of slope and two cross sections were 
made March 13, 1916, in the vicinity of the gaging station. The channel 
(PI. X, A), is practically straight for the section covered by slope data. Banks 
high and covered with brush and small trees. 

The maximum discharge has been computed from the mean of the two cross- 
sections, as follows: Mean area, 987 square feet: mean hj'drauUc radius, 6.0; 
slope of water surface, 0.0078 (for 875 feet) March 13. If the value of n in Kutter's 
formula is assumed as 0.045, the discharge is 9,870 second-feet, or 226 second-feet 
per square mile of drainage area. 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE X 




A. VIEW DOWNSTREAM ON SWEETWATER RIVER NEAR DESCANSO, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 

1916. 




B. VIEW UPSTREAM ON JAMUL CREEK NEAR OTAY, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE XI 




A. VIEW UPSTREAM SHOWING CAPITAN GRANDE DAM SITE ON SAN DIEGO RIVER, AFTER FLOOD 

OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. VIEW UPSTREAM ON SAN VICENTE CREEK AT FOSTER, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



FLOOD BUN-OFF. 



47 



Accuracy. — Determinations of discharge Januaty 16 to 22, roughly approximate aa 
they are computed from an extension of the rating curve for 1914-15, which is 
unsupported by high-water measurements. It is assumed that the concrete 
control was not disturbed until the second rise, which occurred Januar>' 27. 

Gage height, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet, of Sweetwater River near Descaruo, 

Cal.ffor January, 1916. 





9 a.m. 


5 p. m. 


Date. 


height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


hefglft. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan 14 


1.38 
2.20 
2.30 
6.00 
6.00 
4.00 
3.70 
.3.50 
3.50 


21 
137 
159 
2,500 
2 500 
822 
666 
570 
570 


1.38 
2.20 
4.40 
6.00 
4.70 
3.80 
3.50 
3. .50 
3.80 


21 


15 


137 


16 


1,060 


17 


2 .500 


18 


1 290 


19 


716 


20 


570 


21 


570 


22 


716 







Note.— For maximum discharge during January see description of station. No record Jan. 23 to 31, 

as gage was washed out. 

SWEETWATER RIVER NEAR DEHESA, CAL. 

Location.— In the NW. \ NW. I sec. 20, T. 16 S., R. 2 E., at Sloane ranch, 1,000 
feet below mouth of Lawson Creek, about 3 miles southeast of Dehesa, San Diego 
County. 

Drainage area. — 112 square miles (measured on topogi-aphic and military-survey 
maps). 

Elevation. — About 900 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — December 4, 1913, to January, 1916. 

Gage. — Bristol water-stage recorder on left bank 5 feet above control; destroyed by 
flood of January, 1916. No gage-height record available for that month. 

Discharge measurements. — ^Made from cable 200 feet below concrete control or 
by wading; equipment destroyed by flood, January, 1916; no discharge measure- 
ments were made during that month. 

Channel and control. — Bed composed of shifting sand overKing solid rock. 
The concrete control, which extended to bed rock, was destroyed by the flood 
of January, 1916. Banks are high and not subject to overflow. 

, Extremes of discharge. — 1913-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 5.8 feet February 
11, 1915 (approximate discharge computed from extension of rating curve, 1,750 
second-feet); channel practically dry August 12, 1915, to end of year. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Mr. J. F. Covert, chief engineer, Sweet- 
water Water Co., measured cross sections and obtained slope data at this station. 
Determinations of maximum discharge for the flood of January, 1916, based on 
these data, were furnished by F. C. Finkle, consulting engineer, as follows: 
Mean area, 1,639 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 184 feet; mean hydraulic radius, 
8.9; slope, .0047 ; assumed value of n in Kutter's formula, .03; coefficient c, 72.5; 
mean velocity, 14.82 feet per second; discharge, 24,295 second-feet or 217 second- 
feet per square mile of drainage area. 

SWEETWATER RIVER AT RUDOLPH RANCH, NEAR DEHESA, CAL. 

From measurements of cross sections and slope at the highway 
crossing near south line of sec. 14, T. 16 S., R. 1 E., San Diego Comity, 
made by J. F. Covert, chief engineer, Sweetwater Water Co., the 



48 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

maxiinimi discharge for the flood of January, 1916, was computed 
and furnished by F. C. Finkle, consulting engineer, as follows: 
Mean area, 2,382 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 485 feet; mean 
hydraulic radius, 4.9; slope, 0.0045; assumed value of n in Kutter's 
formula, 0.025; coefl^cient c, 77.9; mean velocity, 11.56 feet per 
second; discharge, 27,530 second-feet or 204 second-feet per square 
mile (drainage area given as 135 square miles). 

SWEETWATER RIVER NEAR JAMACHO, CAL. 

Measurements of cross sections and slope made by J. F. Covert, 
chief engineer, Sweetwater Water Co., at Jamacho Canyon, San Diego 
County, were used by F. C. Finkle, consulting engineer, to compute 
the maximum discharge for the flood of Januar}^, 1916, with the 
folio whig results: 

Mean area, 3,006 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 410 feet; mean 
hydrauhc radius, 7.3; slope, 0.0057; assumed value of ti in Kutter's 
formula, 0.03; coefficient c, 70.2; mean velocity, 14.3 feet per second; 
discharge, 43,002 second-feet or 250 second-feet per square mile 
(draniage area given as 172 square miles). 

SWEETWATER RIVER AT SWEETWATER DAM, CAL. 

The foUowing table was prepared by J. F. Covert, chief engineer, 
Sweetwater Water Co., for court use. It is known as Exhibit L 
in the Neuman case and Exhibit J in the Suthff case. Sweetwater 
reservoir is on Sweetwater River about 6 J miles northeast of National 
City, San Diego County. The drainage area tributary to the reservoir 
is 181 square miles (measured on topographic and mihtary survey 
maps). 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



49 



Discharge, in second-feet, of Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam, Cat., for Jan. 16 to 31, 

1916. 



Date. 



Jan. 16 

16-17 
17 
17 
17 
17 
17 
17 

17-18 
18 
18 
18 
18 
18 
18 

18-19 
19 

19-20 
20 

20-21 
21 

21-22 
22 
22 

22-23 
23 

23-24 
24 

24-25 

2.5-26 

2&-27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 
27 

27-28 
28 
29 
30 
31 



Time. 



8 a. m. to 5 p. m 

5 p. m. to3 a. m 

3 a. m. to8a. m 

8 a. m. toll a. m 

11 a. m. to 3.15 p. m.. 
3.15 p.m. to 5.15 p. m. 
5.15 p. m. to 9 p. m... 
9p. m to 11 p. m 

11 p. m. to3 a. m 

3 a. m to5 a. m 

5 a. m to8 a. m 

8 a. m. to 12 m 

12 m. to 5 p. m 

5 p. m. to 8.30 p. m... 
8.30p.m. to 10.30 p. m 
10.30p. mto4.30a. m. 
4.30 a. m. to5 p. m. .. 

5 p. m. to6 a. m 

6 a. m to 5 p. m 

5 p. m to 7 a. m 

7 a. m. to5p. m 

5 p. m. to 5 a. m i 

5 a. m. to8 a. m i 

8 a. m. to5 p. m 

.5 p. m. to 8 a. m 

8 a. m. to 5 p. m ' 

5 p. m. to 7 a. m 

7 a. m too p. m j 

5 p. m. to7 a. m ' 

7 a. m. to 7 a. m 

7 a. m. to 4. .30 a. m... 
4. .30 a. m. to7 a. m... 

7 a. m. to 9 a. ra 

9 a. m. to 11 a. m 

11 a. m. to 11.45 a. m. 
11.45 a. m. to 1 p. m. . 
1 p. m to 2.20 p. m... 
2.20 p.m. to 4.08 p.m. 
4.08p. m, to4.30p. m. 
4.30p. m.to5..30p. m. 
5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p. m. 
6.30 p. m. to9 p. m.. 
9 p. m. to 8 a. m 

8 a. m. to 5 p. m 



Accumu- 
lative 
run-off. 



809 
4,215 
6,050 
4,185 
4,185 
5,950 
9,090 
5, .580 
6,130 
6,130 
1,740 
2,. 500 
2,500 
1,488 

802 

- 689 
-1,248 
-1,186 
-1,023 

- 495 

- 600 

- 87 

■■■■339" 
331 
318 
225 
215.5 
126.5 
112.8 
77.2 
1,850 
1,928 
1,948 
7,790 
13,060 
17,180 
24,200 
16,280 
-2,550 
-43,300 
-31,050 
-9,870 
-.5,970 
-1,288 

- 481 

- 369.5 





Waste. 




Total 
discharge. 


Through 
blow-off. 


Spill- 
way. 


Over 
parapet. 


Through 
breaks. 


1 




809 




■ 


4,215 








6,0.'0 


232 




1 


4,417 
4,417 
6,182 
9,322 
5,812 
6,922 
7,991 
4,330 
5,648 
6,439 
5,866 
5,455 
3,768 


232 






232 




i 


232 




! 


232 




1 


232 


560 
1,629 
2,. 358. 2 
2,775.7 
3,220 
3,6.58 
3,932 
3,737.6 
3,297.7 
2,606.7 
1,586.5 
883 
518.5 
340.5 
157.5 




232 


1 


232 




372 




719 


1 


720 


1 


721 


::::::::::i:::::::::: 


719 


L. 


716 






2,766 
2,135 
l!274 


714 






711 






709 






1,097 


706 






625 


181 





434 


181 


! 


339 






1 


339 




.:::::;;::..:::::: :::: 


331 




1 




318 




" "1 . 




225 




23.8 
83.1 

190.6 

316 

545 

895 
1,314 
1,803 
2,826 
4,063 
4,953.4 
5, 460. 4 
5,503 
5,049 
2,314 






239 








210 








304 




393 








2,395 


326 






3,149 


347 






3,609 


368 






9,961 


368 




16,2.54 


368 






21,611 


408 


3,860 
8,S30 

9,oeo 

4,420 




33,421 


448.5 
449 
444 
434 


8,181 

33,008 

70,487 

59,902 

2.5,050 

14,570 

5,6^19 

4,022 

2,640 


38, COO ' 
45,500 
37,100 
31,600 


410 8 




15,600 


400 


1 


9,000 


429 


I 


4,790 


469 


1 


4,000 


469 


1 


2,740 











Mean 
daily 
dis- 
charge. 



1,.530 



5,870 



5,900 



2,770 



1,4S 
""707 
""'356 



295 



226 
277 
367 



15,000 



9,970 
4,790 
4,000 
2.740 



Total run-off for 



I. 
periods 



acre-feet HI ,000 

depth in inches on drainage area 11. 55 



Note.— Mean daily discharge, total discharge in acre-feet, and run-off in depth in inches computed 
by Engineers of United States Geological Survey. 

SAN DEEGO RIVER BASIN. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

San Diego River rises in the Cuyamaca Mountains, on the western 
slope of the Coast Range, flows south westward, and discharges into 
Pacific Ocean through False Bay at the northern boundary of San 
Diego City. Its length is about 50 miles, half of wliich hes in the 
mountains above the town of Lakeside. The San Diego basin has 
an area of 434 square miles and lies directly south of the San Dieguito 
bas;in and north of the Sweetwater River basin. 
106922°— 18— wsp 426 4 



50 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY^ 1916. 

The San Diego has several small tributaries, the most important 
being Coleman, Cedar, Boulder, South Fork, and Chocolate creeks, 
all of which enter from the east and south above Lakeside. San 
Vicente Creek, the only important tributary from the north, enters 
the river at Lakeside. 

The upper part of the basin above Lakeside is extremely rough and 
rugged, but below Lakeside numerous vallej^s and high mesa lands 
extend to the coast. Elevations throughout the basin range from 
50 to 600 feet in the foothills and from 600 to 6,000 feet in the moun- 
tains. Cuyamaca Peak, the highest point in the basin, has an 
elevation of 6,028 feet. The formation is the loose granite that is 
typical of all river basins in San Diego County. 

The San Diego basin is poorly forested. The timber is confined 
almost entu'ely to the vaUey along the streams and to the higher 
mountain areas. The mountain slopes are fairly weU covered with 
brush, but the lower foothills are almost entirely bare, supporting 
only a scattered growth of low brush. 

The mean annual rainfall ranges from 10 to 15 inches along the 
foothill belt, and from 20 to 45 inches in the mountains. 

Irrigation is carried on extensively in the valleys and on the mesa 
lands between Lakeside and San Diego, and additional areas might 
be irrigated if an adequate supply of water could be assured. Two 
storage reservoirs have been constructed: The Cuyamaca reservoir 
is on Boulder Creek, at an elevation of 4,600 feet above sea level, 
and has a capacity of 11,400 acre-feet with a 35-foot earthen dam. 
La Mesa reservoir is in the foothills about 2 miles northwest of the 
town of La Mesa, at an elevation of 435 feet. The dam is of earth 
and rock, is 66 feet high, and has a storage capacity of about 1,500 
acre-feet. La Mesa reservoir is filled by water diverted from San 
Diego River during the winter months. 

SAN DIEGO RDTER AT DFTERTING DAM NEAR LAKESIDE, CAL. 

Location*. — In the XE. ^ sec. 11, T. 14 S., B. 2 E., at the intake of San Diego flume, 
1,000 feet below mouth of Boulder Creek, and about 13 miles northeast of Lake- 
side, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 102 square miles (measured on topographic maps). 

Elevation. — ^About 800 feet sbove sea level. 

Records available. — October 1, 1912 to January, 1916. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 11.6 feet January 
27, 1914, and March 20, 1915 (discharge, 2,380 second-feet); no flow over dam for 
several months during each year. The low- water discharge is diverted into San 
Diego flume. 

Discharge for January, 1916. — Mr. W. S. Post, coiLsulting engineer for Cuyamaca 
Water Co., furnished the tables of discharge for the month of January, 1916. A 
rating curve has been developed by the Geological Surv^ey covering the discharge 
to 2,400 second-feet. The discharge during the flood periods was computed 
from a weir formula for the dam. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



51 



Storage. — See Cuyamaca reservoir near Julian. C'al. 

Accuracy. — The maximum discharge for January-, 1916, as determined by the weir 
formula, was checked by data on slope and cross section obtained after the flood. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Diego River at diverting dam near Lakeside, Cal., for 

JaniLary, 1916. 



Date. 


Hour. 


Instan- 
taneous 

dis- 
charge. 


Instan- 
taneous 
Cuya- 
maca 
Waste. 


Instan- 
taneous 
discharge 
from 90 
square 
rmles.a 


-■ 

Jan. 13 


6 a. m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

6 a. m 

6p.m.... 

6 a. m 

6 a. m 

12m 

6 a. m 

12m 

6p. m 

12p. m 

6 a. m 

12m 

6p. m 

6 a. m 

6p.m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

6 a. m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

6a. m 

6p.m 

6 a. m 

6p. m 

12m 

12m 


24 

24 

28 

130 

130 

130 

349 

4,120 

4,710 

1,970 

1,970 

2,190 

1,-560 

7,030 

1,070 

1,070 

350 

526 

540 

346 

271 

205 

205 

203 

283 

272 

535 

1,230 

528 

1,710 

15,800 

5,800 

3,240 












110 

no 

110 
110 
110 

no 
no 

106 



















40 





900 

700 

400 


24 


14 


22 


15 


28 
130 


16 


130 
130 


17 . 


349 
4,120 


IS 


4,710 


19 


1,970 
1,860 


20 


2,080 

1,450 

6,920 

960 


21 


960 
240 
420 


22 


540 
346 


23 


271 
205 


24 


205 
203 


25 


283 
272 


26 -- 


535 
1,190 


27 


528 
1,710 


28 


14,900 


29 


5,100 


30 


2,840 







a Does not include 12 square miles of drainage tributary to Cuyamaca reservoir. 



Daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Diego River at diverting dam near Lakeside, 

for Jamiary, 1916. 



Cal, 



Date. 


Total dis- 
charge, 
including 
Cuyamaca 
waste. 


Waste, 
Cuyamaca 
reservoir. 


Total dis- 
charge from 
90 square 
miles, ex- 
clusive of 
Cuvamaca 
basin. 


Date. 

1 


Total dis- 
charge, 

including 

Cuyamaca 

waste. 


Waste, 
Cuyamaca 
reservoir. 


Total dis- 
charge from 
90 square 
miles, ex- 
clusive of 
Cuyamaca 
basin. 


Jan. 1-12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 


369 

36 

54 

147 

■ 1,581 

4,410 

2,655 

1,815 

727 

409 














33 

106 

106 

65 


369 
36 
54 

147 
1.581 
4.410 
2.622 
1,709 

621 

343 


i Jan. 22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 


276 

205 

2&4 

509 

929 

10.200 

10.900 

5,910 

3.070 

2,227 








11 

23 

820 

1,877 

815 

550 

345 


276 

205 

26-1 

498 

906 

9.380 

9,021 

5,095 

2,520 

1.882 



Total runoff for monthj^^^^^^ :^^j,- -^-^^^v^- 



92,800 
17.06 



52 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

SAN DIEGO RIVER AT CAPITAN GRANDE DAM SITE, NEAR LAKESIDE, CAL. 

Location. — 1,000 feet upstream from the west line of sec. 8, T. 15 S., R. 2 E., in Capi- 
tan Grande Indian Reservation, about half a mile below mouth of Chocolate 
Creek, 1^ miles below mouth of South Fork of San Diego River, and 7^ miles 
northeast of Lakeside, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 189 square miles (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 600 feet above sea level. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — ^J. F. Covert, chief engineer, Sweetwater 
Water Co., measured cross sections and slope at this point and computed the 
maximum discharge as follows: 

First section. — ^Mean area, 2,151 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 205 feet; 
mean hydraulic radius, 10.5; slope, 0.0035; assumed value of n in Kutter's for- 
mula, 0.03; coefficient c, 74; mean velocity, 14.2 feet per second. 

Second section. — Mean area, 480 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 118 feet; 
mean hydraulic radius, 4.1; slope, 0.0035; assumed value of n in Kutter's for- 
mula, 0.035; coefficient c, 54; mean velocity, 6.5 feet per second. 

Total discharge, 34,600 second-feet, or 183 second-feet per square mile of drain- 
age area. 

W. S. Post, consulting engineer for Cuyamaca Water Co., obtained the follow- 
ing flood data at approximately the same location (PI. XI, A): Width, 187 feet; 
wet perimeter, 196 feet; area, 2,620 square feet; hydraulic radius, 13.4; slope, 
0.0035 (in 1,600 reet). If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 0.035 
the discharge is 38,000 second-feet, or 201 second-feet per square mile of drain- 
age area. This discharge occurred during the aiternjon of January 27. The 
crest reached Lakeside about 2 p. m. 

SAN DIEGO RIVER NEAR SANTEE, CAL. 

Location. — In El Cajon grant at Mssion dam, just above Oak Canyon, about half a 
mile below Spring Canyon, and 4^ miles west of Santee, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 375 square miles (measured on topographic maps). 

Elevation. — ^About 275 feet above sea level,. 

Records available. — ^May 25, 1912, to January, 1916. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 13.6 feet Feb- 
ruary 11, 1915 (discharge, 3,960 second-feet); minimum stage, dry for several 
months each year except for the small amount of ground water rising to the sur- 
face at the dam. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — On March 12, 1916. a cross section was 
taken 450 feet above the dam (PI. XII, A). The channel, which is in sand, is 
straight for some distance above and below the section measured for slope. The 
high water removed practically all brush and trees along both banks and left the 
channel clean and smooth. It is believed that the remains of the old Mission 
dam acted as a control and prevented, at least to a considerable extent, the scour 
that would otherwise have occurred in the bed of the stream. On this account 
no allowance for scour has been made in computing the area at maximum stage. 
The crest of the flood reached the gaging station during the afternoon of Jan- 
uary 27. At Lakeside (PI. XIII), 8^ miles upstream, it was reported that the 
crest occurred between 2 and 4 p. m. and at San Diego, 12^ miles downstream, at 
7 p. m. 

The maximum gage height at the dam was 25.1 feet (291.5 feet above sea level). 
The discharge is estimated as follows: Width, 310 feet; wet perimeter, 320 feet; 
area, 4,200 square feet; hydraulic radius, 13.1; slope of water surface on March 
12, 1916, 0.0037 (for 875 feet). If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 
0.03, the discharge was 70,200 second-feet, or 187 second-feet per square mile of 
drainage area. 



U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE XII 



^Smsmr '-B*^ — 




A. VIEW UP SAN DIEGO RIVER AT MISSION DAM, NEAR SANTEE, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 

1916. 




B. VIEW UP fy/IISSION VALLEY, SAN DIEGO RIVER, FROM OLD MUNICIPAL PUMPING PLANT, AFTER 

FLOOD OF JANUARY 1916. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 53 

Measurements of croes sections and slope, above and below Mission dam, made 
by J. F. Covert, engineer, Sweetwater Water Co., were used by F. C. Finkle, 
consulting engineer, to compute the maximum discharge, %v-ith the following 
results: 

At Mission dmn. — Mean area, 5,272 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 390 feet; 
mean hydraulic radius, 13.5; slope, 0.0027; assumed value of n in Kutter's 
formula, 0.03; coefficient c, 76.9; mean velocity, 14.7 feet per second; discharge, 
77,390 second-feet. 

Two miUs belou: }fission dam. — Mean area, 4.884 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 
286 feet; mean hydraulic radius, 17.1 ; slope, 0.0031 ; assumed value of n in Kutter s 
formula, 0.035; coefficient c, 69.7; mean velocity, 16.1 feet per second; discharge, 
78,510 second-feet. 

SAN DIEGO RIVER AT SAN DIEGO, CAL. 

Location. — At highway bridge in Block 391, Old Town subdivision, city of San 
Diego, San Diego County, and about 1^ miles above mouth (PL VII, A). 

Draixage area. — i34 square miles (measured on topographic maps); 431 square 
miles at Murray Canyon ford, 2 miles upstream. 

Elevatiox. — Practically sea level. 

Records available. — October 1, 1912. to Januarj", 1916. 

Gage. — Inclined staff on leit bank at bridge. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from concrete highway bridge until its failure 
at 2.20 p. m., January 27, 1916; after this date at the Atchison, Topeka & Santa 
Fe Railway bridge, a short distance below. 

Channel and control. — Composed of sand; shifting. 

Extreme of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded,, 16.61 feet February 
21, 1914 (approximate discharge, 9,500 second-feet); minimum stage, dry for 
several months during each year. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The crest of the second flood occurred at 
7 p. m., January 27. The discharge was estimated as 75.000 second-feet, or 173 
second-feet per square mile. 

Accuracy. — On account of the shifting of the channel, the gage height record for 
periods not covered by discharge measurements is of little value. Daily dis- 
charge reported was computed from a hydrograph drawn through the discharge 
measurements and conforming in general shape with that determined for San 
Luis R^y River at Oceanside. The crest discharge on Januar}' 27, 1916, was 
estimated from the computed maximum discharge at Mission dam. Results 
considered fair. 



54 SOT^TTTERN C.\LTFORNT.\ FLOODS OF .TANTT.\RY, 1016. 

Discharge nuasurements of San Diego River at San Diego, Cal. , duriing January, 1916. 





Afudo by— 


GaRc 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Remarks. 


Dalo. 


Time of 
measure- 
ment. 


Method. 


Jan. 17 


R.W.Day 


Feet 
13.55 
13.45 
13.34 
12.1 
9.1 
7.8 
7.1 
9.9 
9.98 


Sec. -ft. 
10,400 
10.100 
7,380 
8,650 
2,180 
1,820 
1,270 
11,100 
6,560 


9 a. m 


Plnats- 


17 


do 


10 a. m 1 Do. 


18 


do 


3p.m ' Do. 

Noon . ...' Do. 


19 


Ellis and MoFadden 


20 


do 


11 a. m Do. 


21 


W. D. McFadden 


Noon Meter. 


22 


do 


.. do Do. 


28 


Ellis and Dav 


9 a. m Floats. 


29 


R. W. Dav . -■ 


11 a. m Do. 











Note. — Mean velocities taken as 85 per cent of surface velocities obtained from floats. 

Gage height, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet, of San Diego River at San Diego, Cal., 

for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Time. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Mean 

daily 

discharge. 


Jan. 1-16 








Drv 


17 


9.30 a.m.. 
12p.m.... 

3p.m 

12m 

11a.m.... 

12m 

12m 

12m 

10 a.m.... 
11a. m — 

11 a. -m.... 

4p.m 

7 a. m 

3.30 p.m.. 

7p.m 

9 a. m 

11a.m.... 


13.5 

13.85 

13.34 

12.1 

9.1 

7.8 

7.1 

7.3 

7.2 

6.9 

8.0 

8.1 

12.0 

17.3 

19.3 

9.9 

9.98 


10,200 

32,000 

7,380 

8,650 

2,180 

1,820 

1,270 

1,400 

1,330 

1,130 

2,600 

3,000 

18,200 

59,500 

75,000 

11,100 

6,560 


13,400 




18.- 


12 700 


19 


7' 320 
2,550 
1,760 


20 . . 


21 


22 


1 310 


23 


1^380 
1 260 


24 


25 


l'280 


26 


3,000 




27 


38,000 








28 - 


13,200 
5,980 
2,750 


29 


30 


31 








1,280 











acre-feet 213,000 



Total run-oflformonthjf^^^i^l^-^-jj;---^^-^^^-- 



9.19 

Note. — Water began flowing early in morning, Jan. 17; crest of first flood at midnight Jan. 17; crest of 
second flood at 7 p. m., Jan. 27. Concrete highway bridge failed at 2.20 p. m. Jan. 27. 

BOITLDER CREEK AT CTTYAMACA RESERVOIR, NEAR JULIAN, CAL. 

Location. — In Cuyamaca grant, 12 miles above junction with San Diego River, and 
7 miles south of Julian, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 12 square miles, including area of reservoir, which is about 1 
square mile (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 4,650 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — ^June 19, 1912, to January, 1916. Records show only the 
amount of stored water released to supply San Diego flume. 

Reservoir. — Cuyamaca dam, completed in 1886, was one of the first earth dams built 
in Cahfomia for irrigation storage. The height, as originally constructed, was 
35 feet. In 1894 the dam was enlarged, increasing the capacity of the reservoir 
to 11,400 acre-feet. The present dam is 635 feet long and 41^ feet high, having 
an upstream slope of 2 :1 and a downstream slope of 1^ :1. The water released 
from the reservoir flows down the natural channel of Boulder Creek and San 
Diego River to the intake of San Diego flume. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



55 



Flood discharge January, 1916.— W. S. Post, consulting engineer for Cuyamaca 
Water Co., computed the run-off, from the 11 square miles of drainage area tribu- 
tary to the reservoir, for January 13 to 31, 1916. The estimates, which follow, 
are based upon very complete reports which give elevation of water surface in 
the reservoir, spillway discharge, rainfall records, etc. 



Discharge, in second-feet, of Boulder Creek at Cuyamaca reservoir, near Julian, 

for January, 1916. 



Cal. 



Date. 


Hour. 


Instan- 
taneous 
discharge 
from 11 
square 
miles .o 


Instan- 
taneous 
discharge 

per 
square 

mile. 


Total 

discharge 

from 11 

square 

miles. 


Jan. 13 
14 


6pm ..... 


3 

59 

12.5 

534 

865 

456 





20 

39 

32 

29 



715 

1,825 

1,671 

2,393 

1,126 

3S3 

380 

200 

137 

SS 

100 

95 




3 


6 p ni . 


5 
11 
48 
79 
41 


59 


15 




125 


16 




534 


17 


5pm - 


865 


18 




456 


19 







20 


6pm .... 







21 


6p m . 


2 
3 
3 
3 


20 


22 




39 


23 




.32 


24 




29 


25 







26 




65 

166 

152 

217 

102 

35 

35 

17 

12 

8 

9 

9 


715 


27 


8 a. m 


2,100 




10 a m 










28 


6am '- 


823 








29 


6am 


153 








30 


6am 


137 








31 


6am . -. 


120 

















o Does not include precipitation on reservoir area, which is about 1 square mile. 
Totalrun-offformonth{^^^v^i;^-;^,:^g---^ 

SAN VICENTE CREEK AT FOSTER, CAL. 

Location. — In sec. 31, T. 14 S., R. 1 E., about three-eighths of a mile above Foster, 
San Diego Coimty, and 3| miles above junction with San Diego River. 

Drainage area. — 74.9 square miles (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — ^About 500 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — January 29 to April 4, 1915. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1915: Maximum stage recorded, 6.5 feet February 11, 
1915 (discharge, 1,190 second-feet); minimum stage, drj- for several months during 
the year. 

Maximum discharge January, 1916. — On March 15, 1916, a cross section was 
measured 600 feet above abandoned gaging station (PI. XI, B). The bed is 
composed of sand, fine gravel, and small boulders ; channel clean except for trees 
and brush that grow along banks near the high water mark. The water was over 
the highway on left bank at the point where the cross-section was taken. The 
high-water slope was found to be 2.44 feet in 685 feet, which was somewhat less 
than the slope of the present water surface, owing probably to the slight con- 
traction of the channel and cur\'ature below. The channel is practically straight 
for the distance covered by the slope data. 

The maximum discharge, which occurred January 27, is estimated as follows: 
Width, 190 feet; wet perimeter, 198 feet; area, 1,940 square feet; high water slope, 
.0036. If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed a.s .045, the discharge 
is 18,600 second-feet, or 248 second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 



56 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 19U. 

SWITZER CANYON AT SAN DIEGO, CAL. 

The following information was furnished by Mr. George Cromwell, 
city engineer, San Diego, Cal.: 

The drainage area of this stream above the point of measurement is 3. 55 square 
miles: 1 square mile lies within the City Park and, except for a small part under 
cultivation, is in its original state as rough land covered with brush; and 2, 55 square 
miles comprise subdi^dded residence property with graded streets. The maximum 
rate of run-off, which occurred at 7 a. m., January 27, 1916, was 668.5 second-feet, 
or 188 second-feet per square mile. 

SAN DIE QUITO BIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

San Dieguito River, or Saiita Ysabel Creek, as it is known from its 
source to the San Pasqual Valley, rises in the Volcan Mountains on 
the western slope of the Coast Eange and flows westward through 
San Pasqual Valley, below which it takes its true name, and dis- 
charges into the Pacific Ocean midway between Oceanside and San 
Diego. Its length is 50 miles, and the maximum wddth of the drain- 
age basin about 15 miles. The total drainage area is approximately 
340 square miles. It lies south of San Luis Rey River and north of 
the San Diego River basin. 

Numerous small tributaries enter Santa Ysabel Creek from its 
source to San Pasqual VaUey, the most important being Black Can- 
yon and Temescal creeks from the north and Santa Maria Creek from 
the south. Above the San Pasqual VaUey the creek maintains a 
light flow throughout the year, but below that point the channel is 
dry during the summer months. 

The upper part of the basin is rough, the surface being cut by 
many canyons. The lower part in the foothills is more roUing, with 
large areas of vaUey and high mesa land. The formation is a loose 
granite. The basin has very little timber, the principal cover being 
brush, grass, and a few scattered oaks. 

The mean annual ramfall ranges from 10 to 15 inches along the 
foothills and from 20 to 40 inches in the moimtains. 

SANTA YSABEL CREEK NEAR MESA GRANDE, CAL. 

Location.— In the NW. ^ sec. 21, T. 12 S., R. 2 E., at Sutherland dam site, about 1 

mile below Sutherland, 1| miles above mouth of Black Canyon Creek, and 4^ 

miles southwest of Mesa Grande, San Diego County. 
Drainage area. — 53.4 square miles (measured on topographic map). 
Elevation. — ^About 1,900 feet above sea level. 
Records available. — December 29, 1912, to January, 1916. 
Gage. — Friez water-stage recorder on right bank just above dam site; instrument 

was removed by flood January 27. 
Discharge measurements. — Made from cable at gage or by wading; equipment 

destroyed by the January flood. 



FLOOD RUX-OFF. 



57 



Channel and control. — Shifting sand above and below station. A concrete 
control was constructed at an outcropping of bedrock 20 feet below gage. Banks 
are high, covered with brush, and not likely to be overflowed. Zero flow occurs 
at zero gage height. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 4.53 feet Feb- 
ruary 11, 1915 (discharge, 1,040 second-feet); minimum stage dr>- October 1 and 
2, 1913, August 12 to 29 and September G to 13, 1914. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The maximum stage was 11.0 feet at noon 
January 27. Measurements of cross-section and slope made a short distance above 
Ramona-Mesa Grande highway bridge (PI. XIV, A) and about a mile below 
gaging station on May 23, 1916, were furnished by W. S. Post, consulting engineer 
for Volcan Land & Water Co., as follows; Area, 1,180 square feet; wet perimeter, 
149 feet; hydraulic radius, 7. 9; high water slope from 500 feet above cross-section 
to 500 feet below, 0. 02; width, 144 feet. If tlT^'alue of n in Kutter's formula is 
assumed as 0. 5 (channel composed of boulders and is rough), the discharge is 
21,100 second-feet, or 395 second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 

Accuracy. — Results during flood period are considered fair. Water-stage recorder 
was in operation January 1 to 15 and 22 to 27. For the remainder of the month 
the staff gage was read once or twice daily. 

The following discharge measurement was made by W. J. Isbell: 
January 11, 3916: Gage-height, 1.04 feet; discharge, 35 second-feet. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Santa Ysahel Creek near Mesa Grande, Cal.,for January, 

1916. 



Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimirai. 


Mean. 


Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Jan. 1 


t 


4 

10 
12 

9 

10 
10 

9.5 

8 
18 
62 
45 
19 
15 
36 
54 
405 


Jan. 17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 


10.600 
6.500 
3.660 
1,940 


1,550 

2. 500 

1.940 

650 


4,130 


2 


1 


4.200 


3 




2 580 


4 


1 


1.280 


5 




500 


6 




1 






480 


7 


1 






225 


8 


i 






200 


9 


1 


660 

460 

21.100 

8.550 

2.400 


200 
350 

400 
2.400 
1.000 


416 


10 


1 


406 


11 


i 


10.800 


12 


1 


4,720 


13 


. 




1.520 


14 






800 


15 










560 


16 


1.750 


50 









Total runK,a for mon,h{5Jp^^«t inikVsontoinage- ;u-oa :;;;; ^ 

SANTA YSABEL CREEK NEAR RAMONA. CAL. 

Location.— In the XE. \ sec. 27, T. 12 S., R. 1 E., at Pamo Camp, 1 mile below 
mouth of Temescal Creek, and about 4 miles north of Ramona, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 110 square miles (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 925 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — February 5, 1912, to January, 1916. 

Gage. — Staff in four sections on left bank, with a short vertical section at concrete 
control for use during extreme low water. Read three times a day and more 
frequently during high water. Destroyed by high water January 16. Observa- 
tions for the remainder of the month were made by setting stakes at water sur- 
face and later referring them to gage datum by leveling. Xew staff was installed 
January 31 at proposed dam site about half a mile down stream. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from cable at gage or by wading. Cable was 
washed out on January 17, reinstalled January 26, and again destroyed Janu- 
ary' 27. 



58 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARr^ 1016. 



Channel and control. — Composed of sand and some boulders; somewhat shifting. 
On November 19, 1912, a concrete control was built about 30 feet below gage. 
The floods January 17 and 27, 1916, formed an entirely new channel to left of 
control. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 8.05 feet, Feb- 
ruary 11, 1915 (discharge, 3,330 second-feet); minimum stage, 0.74 foot, October 
1 to 6, 1915 (discharge, 0.1 second-foot). 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Measurements of cross section and slope data 
were made March 14, 1916, about half a mile below gaging station (PI. XIV, B). 
The channel, which is composed of large boulders, gravel, and sand, is a little 
rough, and is clean, except for a few small willows. It is slightly curved between 
points covered by slope data. The maximum discharge, which occurred at 7 
p. m. January 27, has been computed as follows: Width, 271 feet; wet perimeter, 
276 feet; area, 2,070 square feet; hydraulic radius, 7.5; slope of present water 
surface, 0.0067 (for 455 feet). If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 
0.035, the discharge is 28,400 second-feet, or 258 second-feet per square mile of 
drainage area. 

The crest of the flood at 9 p. m., January 17, estimated from the Mesa Grande 
record, was 14,300 second-feet. 

Accuracy. — Results considered approximate. The gage-height records January 1 
to 15 were lost during the flood. Discharge for this period estimated from Mesa 
Grande record and hydrographer's notes. Discharge January 16 to 30 computed 
from a hydrograph defined by discharge measurements and computed discharge, 
and having the general shape of the hydrograph for Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa 
Grande. 

Discharge measurements of Santa Ysabel Creek near Bamona, Cal., for January and 

February, 1916. 



Date. 


Made by — 


heigS. 


Dis- 
charge, 


Date. 


Made by— 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 11 


W. J. Isbell 


Feet. 
1.83 
2.50 


Sec.-ft. 

69 

531 


Feb. 1 


W.D. McFadden 


Feet. 
4.80 


Sec.-ft. 
a 742 


26 


W. D. McFadden 





a Float measurement. 

Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of Santa Ysabel Creek near Ramona, Cal., for Jan- 
uary, 1916. 



Day. 


Discharge. 


Day. 


Discharge. 


Day. 


Discharge. 


Day. 


Discharge. 


Jan.! 


7 


Jaa. 9 


28 


Jan. 17 


6.060 


Jan. 25 


668 


2 


17 


10 


95 


18 


7.420 


26 


611 


3 


20 


11 


69 


19 


3,680 


27 


14,100 


4 


15 


12 


29 


20 


2,110 


28 


9,740 


5 


17 


13 


23 


21 


865 


29 


2,540 


6 


17 


14 


55 


22 


560 


30 


1,160 


7 


15 


15 


81 


23 


450 


31 


'865 


8 


12 


16 


664 


24 


400 







Total run-ofl for month{5^^i-i^-;i,^g-^^;;;;;;;;:;;;;;::;;;;;;;^ 



SAN DIEGinTO RIVER NEAR BERNARDO, CAL. 

Location.— In the SE. \ NW. i sec. 18, T. 13 S., R. 2 W., at Carroll dam site, 5i miles 
downstream from former station at Bernardo bridge, about 10 J miles above mouth 
of river, and 4 miles southwest of Bernardo, San Diego County. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE XIV 




A. VIEW UPSTREAM ON SANTA YSABEL CREEK NEAR MESA GRANDE, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 

1916. 




B. VIEW ACROSS SANTA YSABEL CREEK NEAR RAMONA, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE XV 




A. VIEW DOWNSTREAM ON SAN DIEGUITO RIVER AT CARROLL DAM SITE. NEAR BERNARDO, 
AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. VIEW DOZ/NSTREAVi ON SANTA MARIA CREEK NEAR RAMONA, IN 1917. 



FLOOD RrX-OFF. 



.9 



Drainage area. — 299 square miles (measured on topographic maps); 266 square miles 
for station at Bernardo. 

Elevation. — About 150 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — April 17, 1912, to September 30, 1915, for station at Bernardo. 

Gage. — Vertical staff in 4 sf.-ctions on right bank at dam site. 

Discharge measurements. — Equipment not yet installed. Wading measurements 
have been made at gage. 

Channel and control. — Shifting sand with bed rock outcropping about 400 feet 
below gage (PI. XV, A). 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 17.8 feet February 
11, 1915 (discharge, 5,050 second-feet) ; minimum stage, practically dr\' for several 
months each year (for Bernardo station). 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The maximum stage was reported as 21. 2 
feet and occurred at from 1 p. m. to 3 p. m. January 27. Measurements of slope 
and two cross sections made at the dam site were furnished by W. S. Post, con- 
sulting engineer for Volcan Land &. Water Co.. as follows: Mean area. 4,870 square 
feet (correction was made for scour in channel as a profile of the bed rock was 
available); mean hydraulic radius, 17.25; high-water slope, 0.0033 (for 705 feet). 
If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 0.04, the discharge is 72,100 
second-feet, or 241 second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 

Accuracy. — Discharge January 1 to 16 computed from records obtained at station at 
Bernardo. On January 17 the equipment at this station was destroyed and the 
channel greatly changed by the high water. For January 17 to 31, discharge 
record at Carroll dam site has been fiu-nished by W. S. Post. These computations 
are based upon the gage-height record and rating cur\-es defined by later meas- 
urements and flood discharge computed from data on cross section and slope. 
Mean daily discharge computed from hydrograph defined by these data and con- 
forming in general shape to the hydrographs for other stations in the same and 
adjoining drainage basins. 

Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Dieguito River near Bernardo, Cal.,for Jan- 
uary, 1916. 



Day. 


Discharge. 


Day. 


Discharge. 


Day. 


Discharge. 


Dav. 


Discharge. 


Jan. 1 


22 


Jan. 9 


32 


Jan. 17 


11.800 


Jan. 25 


1.060 


2 


22 


10 


45 


18 


27,000 1 


26 


2,950 


3 


27 


11 


257 


19 


14,800 


27 


37,200 


4 


22 


12 


100 


20 


5.220 


28 


15,100 


5 


22 


13 


82 


! 21 


1,730 


29 


4.750 


6 


32 


14 


74 


22 


909 1 


30 


2.200 


7 


32 


15 


230 


; 23 


662 


31 


1.220 


8 


32, 


16 


1,310 


1 " 


708 







Totalrui«)ffformonth{^^^;,i^^--^|^^^^;;;;;;;;;;:;;: ;;;;;;;::;:;;;;;^ 

Note.— Discharge. Jan. 1-16, is for former station at Bernardo. The nin-off for this period for the area 
between Bernardo bridge and Carroll dam site is beUeved to be negligible. 

SANTA MABTA CREEK NEAR RAMONA, CAJL. 

Location. — In the SE. \ sec. 11. T. 13 S., R. 1 W.. about 7 miles below mouth of 

Hatfield Creek, and 5^ miles west of Ramona, San Diego County. 
Drainage area. — 57.3 square miles (measured on topographic map). 
Elevation. — About 1,300 feet above sea level. 
Records available. — November 6, 1912 to January, 1916. 
Gage. — Friez water-stage recorder on right bank just above concrete control, with 

staff in two sections on opposite bank. Water-stage recorder was destroyed by 

Januarj" flood. 
Discharge measurements. — Made from cable 100 feet below gage or by wading; 

equipment was destroy eil by the January flood. 



60 



SOTTTITERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Channel AND CONTROL. — Shifting sand above and below station. Concrete control 
installed just below gage at an outcropping of solid rock. Zero flow occurs at a 
gage height of about l.:^2 feet. 

About 1,000 feet below gage, valley narrows to a rocky gorge at proposed dam 
site. There appears to be considerable natural storage in the channel at extreme 
high water. The slope of the water surface at maximum flood stage was found 
to be much less than at low or medium discharge. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 7.05 feet February 
10, 1915 (discharge 1,890 second-feet); minimum stage, dry for several months 
each year. 

Maximum discharge in January, 191G. — Measurements of slope and cross seQtion 
were made at the gaging station (PI. XV, B) on March 14, 1916. The cross sec- 
tion was taken 315 feet below staff gage. The channel, which is composed prin- 
cipally of sand, is straight and clean except for a few trees on left bank below 
gage. About 1,000 feet below station valley narrows to a rock gorge which causes 
some natural storage in the channel during flood stages. The maximum gage 
height, as determined from flood marks, was 15.9 feet and occurred at about 
5 p. m. January 27. The maximum discharge has been computed as follows: 
Width, 238 feet; wet perimeter, 242 feet; area, 2,040 square feet; hydraulic radius, 
8.4; slope of water surface at maximum stage, 0.00037 (for 1,010 feet). The slope 
of the water surface March 14 was 0.0059 (for 575 feet) . If the value of n in Kutter's 
formula is assumed as 0.035, the discharge is 7.140 second-feet, or 125 second-feet 
per square mile or drainage area. 

Accuracy. — Results considered reliable. Gage was read two to six times a day during 
high water. The concrete control was not injured by the flood. 

Discharge measurements of Santa Maria Creek near Ramona, Cal.,for January and 

February^ 1916. 



Date. 


Made by— 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Made by- 


height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan 4 


W. J. Isbell 


Feet. 
1.37 
1.80 


Sec-n. 
2.4 


Jan. 24 
Feb. 3 


W. D. McFadden 

Day and McFadden.... 


Feet. 
2.70 
3.45 


Sec.-ft. 


11 


do 


144 



Discharge, in second-feet, of Santa Maria Creek near Ramona, Cal.,for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Maximvim. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Jan. 1 






0.2 
.2 
.2 
.0 
.0 

.0 
.0 
.2 
.2 

.4 

2.4 
1.5 
1.0 

2.5 
4.0 
1,200 


Jan. 17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

22 
23 
24 
25 
26 

27 
28 
29 
30 
31 


3,720 

3,310 

1,280 

518 

178 

150 
90 
71 

816 
3,360 

7,140 

2,880 

430 

410 

208 


2,210 

1,280 

518 

178 

150 

90 
71 
71 
71 
816 

2,880 
430 
112 
208 
136 


2,820 


2 






1,960 


3 






914 


4 






283 


5 






163 


6 






113 


7 






78 


8 






71 


9 






275 


10 






1,970 


11 






4,960 


12 






1,370 


13 






223 


14 






322 


15 






150 


16 

















Total nin-ofl for month 



facre-feet 33,500 



\depth in inches on drainage area 10.96 

Note.— Discharge January 4 to 7 less than 0.1 second-foot. 



FLOOD KUN-OPF. 61 

SAN LUIS BEY RIVER BASIN. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

San Luis Rey River drains an area comprising 565 square miles 
lying wholly in the northern part of San Diego County and extending 
from the crest of the Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean, a distance of 
65 miles, with a maximimi width of about 16 miles. 

The river is formed hy many small streams which rise in the higher 
elevations of the Coast Range and come together at the lower or west 
end of what is known as Warner's valley. Below this point the river 
flows for a distance of 10 miles through a deep narrow canyon with a 
heavy grade, then over a sandy and gravelly bed with medium grade for 
some 40 miles, finally discharging into the Pacific Ocean at Oceanside. 

Altitudes wdthin this basin range from 50 to 500 feet in the foothills 
in the vicinity of Oceanside and from 500 to 6,000 feet on the moun- 
tains. Palomar Mountain, the highest peak in the basin, is 6,126 
feet above sea level. The upper portion of the basin is more or less 
rolling, and several of the valleys are under cultivation and are used 
extensively for stock raising; the middle part, occupied by the river 
in its canyon, is rough ; on the lower reaches the surface becomes less 
rugged, merging into the foothills, which extend to the coast. The 
rocks are granitic. 

The basin is poorly forested. Some fairly good timber is found on 
the higher elevations, but the greater part of the cover is brush and 
grass with a scattered growth of oaks. 

The mean annual precipitation in this basin ranges from about 10 
to 50 inches, gi-adually increasing with altitude. It occm^s almost 
entii'ely as rain, snow appearing only occasionally on the high eleva- 
tions. 

SAN LUIS REY RIVER NEAR MESA GRANDE, CAL. 

Location, — In the NE. ^ sec. 9, T, 11 S., R. 2 E., 1 mile below Warner dam site and 

mouth of Carrizo Creek, and about 5 miles north of Mesa Grande, San Diego County. 
Drainage area. — 209 square miles (measured on topographic and military survey 

maps). 
Elevation. — About 2,650 feet above sea level. 
Kecords available. — October 3, 1911 to January' 1916. 
Gage. — Barrett & Lawrence water-stage recorder on left bank just above concrete 

weir; destroyed by high water during night, January 16, 1916. Staff g:\ge at 

same location and datum as water-stage recorder read frequently January 17 

to 31 by an engineer of the Volcan Land & Water Co. 
Discharge measurements. — Made from cable about a mile above gage or by wading. 
Channel and control. — Composed of sand and gravel; somewhat shifting. The 

concrete weir which acted as a control was practically destroyed by the high water. 
Extremes of discharge. — 1911-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 7.5 feet February 

21, 1914 (discharge 3,470 second-feet); minimum stage, 0.09 foot August 31, 1914 

(discharge, estimated, 0.2 second-foot). 
Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Measurements of cross sections and slope 

made a short distance below dam site, were furnished by W. S. Post, consulting 

engineer, for Volcan Land & Water Co., as follows: 



62 



SOUTHERN CALIFOBNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Mean area, 2,960 square feet; mean wet perimeter, 242 feet; mean hydraulic 
radius, 12.2; high water slope over 900-foot range (from 300 feet above to 600 feet 
below cable), 0.0073. If the value of n in Kutter's fonnula is assumed as 0.035, 
the discharge is 58,600 second-feet, or 280 second-feet per square mile of dranage 
area. No correction was made to the area for probable scour in channel at crest 
of flood. 
Accuracy. — ^Results considered good. Gage read frequently except durrng night. 

Discharge measurements of San Luis Rey River near Mesa Grande, Cal., during January, 

1916. 

Made by ^X. J. Isbell. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Time of 
measure- 
ment. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Time of 
measure- 
ment. 


Jan. 1 


Feet. 
0.35 
.42 
.39 

.85 
1.58 


Sec-ft. 
16 
24 
21 
103 
248 




Jan. 18 


Fed. 
9.06 
5.44 
1.78 
2.38 
6.70 


Sec-ft. 
a 9. 8.50 

2,630 
364 

o561 
O3.830 




3. 


9 a.m. 
4 p. m 
11 a. m 
11a. m 


19 


3p.m. 
11a m 


7 


23 


9 


26 




16 


28 


11 a m 









a Made from cable. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Luis Rey River near Mesa Grande, Cal., for January, 

1916. 



Date. 


Maximum. 


Minim tun. 


Mean. 


Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Jan. 1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 


! 


16 
25 
24 
20 
29 
36 
21 
16 

103 
40 
42 
43 
44 
46 

170 
1,550 


Jan. 17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 


24,400 

15,600 

4,350 

1,580 

595 

478 

390 

425 

1,190 

1,990 

58,600 

21,700 

3,200 

2,770 

1,160 


4,800 

4,350 

1,580 

595 

478 

390 

325 

325 

355 

425 

1,990 

2,130 

1,630 

1,160 

895 


13,000 




10,100 




2,740 
896 






536 




L. 


428 


1 


352 


1 


354 




775 




806 


11 


1 


28,100 
6,130 


12 


1 


13 


:.:.::::i. .::..:::::.:: 


2,060 


14 


1 


1,610 


15 


i 


1,020 


16 


5,300 


210 





Total run-ofl for month{^^^^i^-;^V-^,--;:;;;;;:;;;:;;:;:;::^ 

Note.— Crest of flood Jan. 17 occurred at 1.45 p. m., gage height 12.8 feet; January 27 at 4.30 p. m., gage 
height 18.0 feet. 

SAN LinS REY RITTER NEAR NELLIE, CAL. 

Location. — In Potrero Indian Reservation (near west Hne of sec. 33, T. 10 S., R. 1 

E., unsurveyed), 500 feet above intake of Escondido Mutual Water Co.'s canal, 

8 miles below gaging station at Warner dam site near Mesa Grande, and about 

4^ miles southwest of Nellie, San Diego County. 
Drainage area. — 240 square miles (measured on topographic and miHtary-survey 

maps). 
Elevation. — About 1,800 feet above sea level. 
Gage. — Friez water-stage recorder on left bank, with reinforced concrete well, 500 

feet above intake of Escondido Mutual Water Co.'s canal; equipment destroyed 

by January flood. 
Discharge measurements. — Made from cable 400 feet above gage or by wading; 

equipment destroyed by January flood. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



63 



Channel and control. — Composed of sand and boulders overlying solid rock. A 
concrete control, extending to bedrock, was built across channel about 30 feet 
below gage. 

Accuracy. — Record for January considered approximate. No gage-height record 
available, except January 1 to 8, as water-stage recorder was destroyed by the flood. 
Discharge January 9 to 14 estimated from ^lesa Grande record, that for rest of 
month estimated from flood studies at Mesa Grande, records at Oceanside, and 
mean rainfall computed for drainage area. 

Discharge measurements of San Luis Bey River, near Nellie, Cal.,for January, 1916. 

[Made by W. J. Isbell.] 



Date. 


Gage 
hftig?it. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 8 


Feet. 
1.30 
2.30 


Sec.-ft. 
22 
194 


Jan. 22 


Feet. 
3.02 


Sec.-ft. 
571 


15 









Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Luis Rey River near Nellie, Cal.,for January, 

1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan.l 

2 

3 

4 


25 
43 
41 
26 


Jan. 5 

6 

7 

8 


38 
48 
29 
22 


Jan. 9 

10 

11 

12 


140 
55 
58 
59 


Jan. 13 

14 

15 


60 
63 
194 



Total run-ofl for month{g^|Jv^--^^^g^- -;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; :;;;;;^ 165^ 



SAN LUIS REY RIVER NEAR PAT.A. CAL. 



B. 1 



Location. — ^Above ford on road to Sickler's mill, in the NW. \ sec. 31, T. 9 S. 

W., about 4 miles southeast of Pala, San Diego County. 
Drainage area.^^322 square miles (measured on topographic and military-survey 

maps). 
Elevation. — ^About 575 feet above sea level. 
Records available.— October 9, 1903 to June 30, 1911, and November 14, 1912, to 

January, 1916. 
Gage.— Friez water-stage recorder on left bank 600 feet above ford. Previous to 

September 19, 1912, records were obtained from staff gage about 50 feet above 

ford. November 13, 1906, original gage datum was lowered 4.66 feet. Present 

gage is at an independent datum. "Water-stage recorder was removed by high 

Water in January; no record after January 16, 1916. 
Discharge measurbments. — ^Made from cable 550 feet below water-stage recorder 

or by wading. 
Channel and control. — Composed of sand, gravel, and boulders; shifting. An 

artificial control, consisting of short concrete cut-off walls between the boulders, 

was rebuilt across the channel just below gage on September 28, 1914, and was 

destroyed by flood of January, 1916. Stage of zero flow for new control, about 5.7 

feet. 
Extremes of discharge.— 1905-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 12.0 feet (original 

datum) at noon and at 2 p. m. March 24, 1906 (discharge, 22,000 second-feet); 

minim u m stage, 5.28 feet August 6 and 7, 1907 (discharge, 0.6 second-foot). 



64 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Maximum discharge in January, 191G. — Maximum stage reached during flood was 
18.1 feet, as determined by leveling from liigh-\vater mark. IMaximum discharge 
was approximately 75,000 second-feet (see San Luis Key at Pala). 

Accuracy. — Besults January 1 to 16 considered good; no gage-height record after 
January 16, as eqidpment was destroyed. Discharge January 17 to 31 estimated 
from flood studies of Mesa Grande and Oceanside records, and mean rainfall 
computed for drainage area. 

Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Luis Keij River near Pala, Cal.,for January, 

1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- : 
charge, i 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 1 

2 

3 

4 


18 
18 
27 

.s 


Jan. 5 

6 

7 

8 


18 
26 
25 
18 


Jan. 9 

10 

11 

12 


34 
119 
289 
161 


Jan. 13 

14 

15 

16 


99 

92 

311 

1.660 



Total run-off for month/^^^®"^®^* 201,000 

lotai run-on lor montH|^gp^j^ ^ .^^^^^ ^^ drainage area 11.76 

SAN LUIS REY RIVER AT PALA, CAL. 

Location. — 300 feet above intake of South Side Pala Indian ditch, below Agua Tibia 
Creek, 1^ miles below Geological Survey gaging station, and about 1^ miles 
southeast of Pala, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 322 square miles (at Geological Survey gaging station, 1^ miles 
upstream, measured on topographic and militar^'-surv^ey maps). 

Elevation. — ^About 500 feet above sea level. 

Flood discharge for January, 1916. — ^About 30 days after the flood, Mr. C. H, 
Southworth, United States Indian Irrigation Service, measured cross-section 
and slope at this point and computed the maximum discharge for January 27, 
as follows: Area, 2,690 square feet; wet perimeter, 300 feet; hydraulic radius, 
8.9; slope, 0.012; assumed value of n inKutter's formula, 0.025; mean velocity, 
28.0 feet per second; discharge, 75,300 second-feet. 

SAN LUIS REY RIVER AT BONSALL, CAL. 

Location. — In the SW. i sec. 20, T. 10 S., R. 3 W., at concrete highway bridge at 

Bonsall, San Diego County, just above Moosa Canyon, about 14 miles below 

gaging station near Pala, and 14 miles above mouth of river. 
Drainage area. — 465 square miles (measured on topographic and military surA-ey 

maps) . 
Elevation. — About 150 feet above sea level. 
Records available.— April 16, 1912, to January, 1916. 
Gage. — Staff in three sections on left bank at bridge; read twice daily. Previous 

staff was on left bank, 150 feet below present gage. Original datum not maia- 

tained. 
Discharge measurements. — Made from bridge at gage or by wading. 
Channel and control. — Composed of sand; shifting. 
Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 7.0 feet February 

11, 1915 (discharge 9,000 second-feet); channel dry for several months each year. 
Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Gage and highway bridge destroyed by 

high water; no record after January 15. Maximum discharge not estimated 

owing to instability of channel. 
Accuracy. — Results January 1 to 15 considered fair. Discharge for remainder of 

month estimated from flood studies of Mesa Grande and Oceanside records and 

mean rainfall computed for drainage area. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



65 



Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Luis Rey River at Bonsall, Cat., for January, 

1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 1 

2 

3 

4 


57 
57 
57 
57 


Jan.5 

6 

7 

8 


42 
42 
57 
57 


Jan. 9...... 

10 

11 

12 


57 
95 
320 
162 


Jan. 13 

14 

15 


86 

86 

268 



Total run-off for month{^ft^:^-^---^j^-^;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;- 257^ 

SAN LXnS REY RIVER AT OCEANSIDE, CAL. 

Location.— In the SE. \ NE. \ sec. 22, T. 11 S., R. 5 W., at highway bridge about 
half a mile above mouth, at Oceanside, San Diego County. 

Drainage area. — 565 square miles (measured on topographic and military survey 
maps) ; for gaging station opposite Oceanside pumping plant, 1^ miles upstream, 
563 square miles. 

Elevation. — Sea level. 

Records available. — April 17, 1912, to September 30, 1915, for station opposite 
Oceanside pumping plant. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from concrete highway bridge until its failure 
at 9.30 p. m., January 27, 1916. Later measurements were made from a boat at 
approximately the same location (PI. VIII, A, p. 32). 

Channel and control. — Composed of sand; shifting. The discharge measurement 
made at 6 p. m., January 27, 1916, indicated that the scour in the main channel 
amounted to about 10 feet as compared with the cross section measured May, 25 
1916. 

Extremes of discharge. — 1912-1915: Maximum stage recorded at station opposite 
Oceanside pumping plant, 4.9 feet February 11, 1915 (approximate discharge, 
7,000 second-feet); channel dry for several months during each year. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The crest discharge of the flood on January 
17; 1916, was estimated from the Mesa Grande record, using the ratio that obtained 
for the flood of January 27, at 40,000 second-feet. The crest discharge, which 
occurred at 9.30 p. m. January 27, was estimated as follows: From a study of the 
cross section measured May 25 and the measurement at 6 p. m. January 27, it is 
evident that the maximum stage at 9.30 p. m. was at least 3.0 feet higher than 
at the time of the measurement. At the pumping plant, 1^ miles upstream, 
where the channel is much wider, a rise of more than 2 feet was reported. Low 
tide occurred at 7.15 p. m. January 27; hence the maximum stage was not affected 
by the tide. Without making any allowance for additional scour in the channel, 
the area at maximum stage would be 1, 860 square feet greater than at 6 p. m., 
or a total area of 6,370 square feet. The mean velocity has been estimated as 
15 feet per second. For the measurement at 6 p. m. it was 12.3 feet per second. 
The estimated maximum discharge is 95,600 second-feet, or 169 second-feet per 
square mile. 

Accuracy. — Mean daily discharge January 16 to 31, 1916, computed from a hydro- 
graph based on discharge measurements and compared with the records on San 
Luis Rey River near Mesa Grande. Results considered fair. 
106922°— 18— wsp 426 5 



66 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

Discharge Tmasuremmts of San Luis Rey River at Ocearmde, Cal.,for January, 1916. 





Made by- 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Remarks. 


Date. 


Time of 
measure- 
ment. 


Method. 


1916. 
Jan. 16 


McFadden and Ireland 


Feet. 
2.45 
6.0 
4.0 
4.0 
3.0 
2.5 
2.0 
1.8 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 
1.5 
1.6 


Sec.-ft. 

216 

27,100 

16,200 

20,800 

9,990 

9,080 

3,690 

2,000 

1,650 

1,480 

1,460 

1,240 

1,150 

1,030 

1,310 

1,580 

1,800 

9,640 

55,400 

21,900 

2,190 

1,260 


9a. m 

3p. m 

9 a. m 

3pm 

9 a. m 

4 p. m 

10 a. m 

9 a. m 

11a.m.... 

4 p. m 

9 a. m 

4 p. m 

9 a. m 

4 p. m 

9a. m 

^P-m 

9a. m 

10 a. m 

6 p. m 

9 a. m 

4p. m 

4 p. m 




17 


Strout and Ireland 




18 


do 


Floats 


18 


do 


Do 


19 


do 


Do 


19 


do 


Do 


20 


do 


Do 


21 


do 


Meter 


22 


C. B. Ireland . 


Do 


22 


do 


Do 


23 


do 


Do 


23 


do 


Do 


24 


do 


Do 


24 


.. do 


Do 


25 
25 


do 

do 


Do. 
Do 


26 


do 


Do. 


27 


Strout and Ireland 


Floats. 


27 


do 




Do. 


28 






Do. 


30 


G. S. Strout 





Do. 


31 


do 




Do. 











Note.— Mean velocities taken as 80 per cent of surface velocities obtained from floats. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Luis Rey River at Oceanside, Cal.,for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Date. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Jan. 16 


6.500 


216 


2.180 


Jan. 24 


1,200 


1.030 


1,110 


17 


40,000 


10,000 


20.800 


25 


1,600 


1,100 


1,400 


18 


21.500 


13,500 


18,100 


26 


3,800 


1,600 


2,230 


19 


13.500 


5,700 


9,640 


27 


95,600 


3,800 


33,800 


20 


5.700 


2,400 


3,730 


28 


8.5,000 


7,700 


28,200 


21 


2,400 


1,700 


1,980 


29 


7,700 


3,700 


5,330 


22 


1,700 


1,480 


1,590 


30 


3,700 


1,800 


2,650 


23 


1,480 


1,200 


1,350 


31 


1,800 


1,170 


1,430 



Total run-off for period{g^^-i^--^^^i^ ^- ■";;::;;;;;;;;;;;; ^ 

MOOSA CANYON CREEK NEAR BONSALL, CAL. 

Location. — Near the northwest comer of sec. 1, T. 11 S., R. 3 W., at Moose dam, half a 
mile below mouth of South Fork, and 4^ miles southeast of Bonsall, San Diego 
County. 

Drainage area. — 31 square miles (measured on topographic map by John F. Covert). 

Elevation. — About 400 feet above sea level. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — John F. Covert, chief engineer Sweet- 
water Water Co., estimated the discharge over the dam to be 8,346 second -feet. 
The maximum stage 100 feet upstream from the dam, determined December 15, 
1916 , from flood marks was 9.1 feet above crest of dam. The concrete dam is 81 feet 
long on top and the width of the canyon at a point 9.1 feet above the crest is 105 
feet. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 67 

SANTA ANA RIVER BASIN. 
GENERAL FEATTTRES. 

Of the three principal streams that traverse the valley of south- 
ern California — Santa Ana, San Gabriel, and Los Angeles rivers — the 
Santa Ana is the largest. Its drainage basin, lying south of the San 
Bernardino Mountains and the Sierra Madrc and taking waters from 
their southern slopes, is the most easterly and comprises by far the 
largest area, including the northern part of Orange County, the north- 
western part of Riverside County, and the southwestern part of San 
Bernardino County. Of the total drainage area, covering between 
1,800 and 1,900 square miles, about two-thirds is in the valley, but 
only a few hundred square miles yields much run-off. 

The Santa Ana rises in the heart of the San Bernardino Mountains, 
about 30 miles east of Highland, and flows westward for about 25 
miles to the mouth of its upper canyon; thence south westward 
across San Bernardino Valley, through the lower canyon in the Santa 
Ana Mountains, and across the coastal plain to the Pacific Ocean at 
Newport Beach. Although the course of the stream measures about 
100 miles, there is continuous surface flow from mountain to sea only 
during winter floods. 

Many small streams from the southern slope of the San Bernardino 
Mountains and a few from the Sierra Madre west of the Cajon Pass 
flow toward the Santa Ana, but some of these discharge water to the 
main stream only in the flood seasons, the ordinary flow either being 
diverted or sinking into the sand and gravel of San Bernardino 
Valley. The principal tributaries are Bear, Alder, Mill, Lytic, and 
Chino creeks. 

Altitudes in the Santa Ana drainage area range from a few feet 
above sea level on the coastal plain to 2,000 or 3,000 feet on the 
Santa Ana Mountains, 500 to 1,200 feet in the San Bernardino basin, 
and 2,000 to 11,000 feet on the southern slope of the San Bernardino 
Mountains. The more elevated regions are rough and rugged, and 
the mountain sides are incised by many canyons which are the result 
of active stream erosion. The rocks are granitic. The mesa and 
valley lands at the base of the mountains are composed of granitic 
gravel and sand of great depth. The higher mountain slopes sup- 
port considerable timber; most of the lower slopes are covered with 
brush and grass. 

The mean annual precipitation varies considerably in different 
parts of the Santa Ana basin. On the coastal plain west of the Santa 
Ana Range it averages 10 inches or more; eastward, in the San Ber- 
nardino Valley, it amounts to from 10 to 16 inches. On the moun- 
tain slopes it ranges from 20 inches at the base to 40 inches or more 
near the crest, and in Bear Valley north of the highest peaks, such 



68 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

as San Bernardino and San Gorgonio, it may be even 50 inches. 
Considerable snow falls in the region of these high peaks in winter 
and remains well into the summer, especially on the northern slopes, 
from which the headwaters of the Santa Ana come. 

SANTA ANA RIVER NEAR MENTONE, GAL. 

Location. — In the SW. \ sec. 4, T, 1 S., R. 2 W., just above mouth of canyon, one- 
fourth mile above Pacific Light & Power Corporation's plant, one-half mile above 
mouth of Deep Creek, and 3^ miles northeast of Mentone, San Bernardino County. 

Drainage area. — 189 square miles (measured on topographic maps). 

Elevation. — About 1,900 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — July 1, 1896, to January, 1916. 

Gage. — Vertical staff fastened to rock ledge on left bank one-fourth mile above power 
house; read daily. Destroyed by high water during night of January 17-18; no 
record obtained during rest of month. 

Discharge measurements. — Car and cable at Warm Springs Canyon destroyed by 
flood. On account of the damage to the highways and bridges it was impossible 
to reach this station for several days after the flood had passed. 

Channel and control. — Composed of gravel and boulders; very rough; shifts dur- 
ing high water. 

Extremes of discharge. — 189&-1915: Crest gage height January 1, 1910, not known, 
as gage was destroyed (mean discharge for day estimated as 8,500 second-feet); 
minimum stage, 2.3 feet during parts of every month from October, 1913, to 
January, 1915 (discharge, 0.6 second-foot). 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — As the gage was destroyed during the 
night of January 17-18, there is no record of stage for the month after 8 a. m. 
January 17. Slope cross section measured at the gaging station March 8, 1916 
(PI. XVI, A). The cross section was measured just below temporary highway 
bridge, 357 feet below gage. The channel, which is composed of large and small 
boulders, sand, and gravel, is clean and very rough. The slope of the water 
surface at maximum stage was determined for a distance of 1,620 feet, where the 
channel was generally straight. The maximum discharge has been computed as 
follows: Width, 510 feet; wet perimeter, 526 feet; area, 2,290 square feet; 
hydraulic radius, 4.4; slope of water surface (flood stage), 0.024 (for 1,620 feet). 
If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 0.05, the discharge is 29,100 
second-feet, or 154 second-feet per square mile of drainage area. 

For piu-pose of comparison it is interesting to note that the intake of the Mentone 
power plant, operator's house, and other structures removed by this flood had been 
in place since the plant was constructed in 1902. Also that a large number of 
trees, 2 feet in diameter, were brought down by the high water. During the 
* flood the river at the mouth of the canyon, would swing from one side of the can- 
yon to the other and back again, within an hour, the action being due to jams 
formed by great numbers of large boulders moving downstream. 

Diversions.— The intake of the Pacific Light & Power Corporation's canal is at 
Southern California Edison Co. plant No. 2, 2^ miles above the gage. The intake 
of this canal was washed out at 8.40 a. m. January 17, 1916. No water was 
diverted through it during the rest of the month. 

Regulation.— Water is stored on Bear Creek at Bear Valley reserv<»r. 

SANTA ANA RIVER AT SAN BERNARDINO, CAL. 

Location.— At Salt Lake Street Bridge (E Street), San Bernardino, San Bernardino 

County. 
Maximum discharge in January, 1916.— Mr. H. B. Andrews, Riverside Water Co., 

who measured cross section and slope, from high- water marks which he observed 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE XVI 




-^•^f.^.ir^'i 



5^*^ 






~4iwr 



I. GAGING STATION ON SANTA ANA RIVER NEAR MENTONE, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. VIEW ACROSS CHANNEL OF SAN GABRIEL RIVER AT MOUTH OF CANYON. NEAR AZUSA. 
AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 



U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 428 PLATE XVII 




A. VIEW UPSTREAM ON SAN JACINTO RIVER NEAR ELSINORE, AFTER FLOOD OF JANUARY, 1916. 




B. VIEW EASTWARD ALONG f:OR":"H i^OP.E 0- ELSir.'ORE LAKE, 'vlARCi 



FLOOD RUN-OFP. 



69 



during the storm of January 17, haa estimated the discharge as follows: Area, 
2,020 square feet; wet perimeter, 251 feet; slope, 0.006; discharge, 40,000 second- 
feet. The high-water marks on January 27 were practically the same as for Jan- 
uary 17. 

The following discharge measurements at Salt Lake Street Bridge, furnished 
by Riverside Water Co., include San Timoteo Creek and Redlands Wash, but do 
not show diversions by Gage canal at Sterling Street, 

Discharge Tneamrements of Santa Ana River at San Bernardino, Cal., during January, 

1916. 

[Made by H. B, Andrews.] 



Date. 


Dis- 1 Time of 
charge, measurement. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Time of 
measurement. 


Jan 6 


Sec-ft. 

127 

1,106 


3.50 p. m. 
4.15 p. m. 


Jan.22 


Sec-ft. 

730 

3,725 


2.15 p. m. 


20 


28 


12.35 p. m. 









LYTLE CREEK AT SAN BERNARDINO, CAL. 

The following table was compiled from a blue-print bydrograph 
furnished by J. A. Sourwine, county engineer. This hydrograph was 
determined from measurements of East and West channels of Lytle 
Creek. The West channel was measured at the new Fourth Street 
Bridge until it went out at 8.05 a. m. January 18. Later measure- 
ments were made at the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 
bridge, at North Colton. The East chaimel was measured at the 
old Fourth Street Bridge until about 9 a. m. January 18, and later 
at Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge. The discharge record given in 
the table was taken from the hydrograph at points where there was 
a change in curvature. A planimeter was used to determine mean 
daily discharge. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Lyile Creel: at San Bernardino, Cal., for January, 1916. 





Time. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Mean daily discharge. 


Date. 


East 
channel. 


West 
channel. 


Total. 


Jan. 16 


10.00 p. m 


Dry .... 


1 

I 




17 


3.00a.m 


650 

6,200 

13,400 

6,200 

8,500 

2,650 

8,000 

16,000 

8,000 

2,800 

550 

350 


920 4,320 


5,240 




7.30 a, m 




lO.OOa.m 


1 






12.45 p. m 








3.30 p. m 








ll.OOp.m 






Jan. 18 


5.00 a. m 




6,640 




9.40a. m 






1.00 p. m 








4.30 p. m 






Jan. 19 


lO.OOa.m 


1 






5.00 p. m 


1 








1 





70 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



SAN JACINTO RIVER NEAR SAN JACINTO, CAL. 

Location.— In sec. 20, T. 5 S., R. 2 E., at Oak Cliff, 1 mile above mouth of North 
Fork of San Jacinto River and 10 miles southeast of San Jacinto, Riverside County. 

Drainage area. — 108 square miles (measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 2,200 feet above sea level. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916.— Mr. W. S. Post, consulting engineer, 
measured cross section and slope at this point and estimated the crest discharge 
as follows: Area, 2,058 square feet; wet perimeter, 392 feet; hydraulic radius, 
5.2; slope, 0.029; discharge, 30,000 second-feet or 278 second-feet per square 
of drainage area. 

SAN JACINTO RIVER NEAR ELSINORE. CAL. 

Location.— Near center of sec. 9, T. 6 S., R. 4 W., at A. T. & S. F. Ry. bridge at 
Elsinore Junction, about 1| miles above junction with Elsinore Lake (low- water 
stage), and 1^ miles southeast of Elsinore, Riverside County. 

Drainage area. — 718 square miles (measured on topographic maps). 

Elevation. — About 1,250 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — January 1 to 31, 1916. 

Gage. — Vertical staff fastened to trestle bent of railway bridge near left bank; read 
daily. 

Discharge measurements. — ^Made from railway bridge or by wading. 

Channel and control. — Composed of gravel and small boulders; fairly permanent. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Measurements of cross section and slope 
were made March 9 in the canyon about three-fourths mile above gaging station 
at railway bridge. The channel at this point is composed of sand and gravel 
with a few small boulders and is straight. Along the banks of the low- water 
channel there are small bushes and a few trees. There is but one channel at 
all stages and the high-water banks are clean (PI. XVII, A). The slope of the 
water surface at maximum stage was determined for a distance of 1,150 feet. The 
crest discharge has been computed as follows: Width, 290 feet; wet perimeter, 295 
feet; area, 1,730 square feet; hydraulic radius, 5.9; slope of water surface (flood 
stage), 0.0033. If the value of n in Kutter's formula is assumed as 0.035, the 
discharge is 14,000 second-feet, or 195 second-feet per square mile of drainage 
area (drainage area at this point, 717 square miles measured on topographic maps). 
This discharge occurred January 28 at 11 a. m., gage height 19.0 feet. 

Accuracy. — Gage height record affected by backwater from Elsinore Lake beginning 
January 30. Rating curv^e defined by two medium-stage measurements and 
maximum of flood discharge computed from cross-section and slope. Grage read 
once a day to hundredths feet. Results fair. 

Daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Jacinto River near Elsinore, Cal.,for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan.l 


2 


Jan. 9 


3 


Jan. 17 


730 


Jan. 25 


730 


2 


2 


10 


3 


18 


830 


26 


580 


3 


2 


11 


3 


19 


1,750 


27 


1,010 


4 


2 


12 


2 


20 


6,800 


28 


14,000 


5 


2 


13 


2 


21 


1,750 


29 


6,800 


6 


2 


14 


2 


22 


1,010 


30 


1,750 


7 


2 


15 


2 


23 


580 


31 


1,350 


8 


2 


16 


2 


24 


680 







Total runK)ff for month{§^^-i^^^ -;j-- ----;;;;;;;;; ^ 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 71 



Discharge measurements of San Jacinto River near Elsinore, Cat., during January, 1916. 

[Made by F. C. Ebert.[ 


Date. 


Gage 
heigit. 


Db- 
charge. 


Jan 25 


Feet. 
10.40 
10.32 


Sec.-ft. 
680 


26 


651 









HISTORY OF ELSINORE LAKE.i 

Apparently the earliest specific reference to the amount of water in 
Elsinore Lake is contained in the notes of a traveler through southern 
California about 1810, who mentions ''Laguna Grande," the original 
Mexican name for the lake, as being little more than a swamp about a 
mile long. For the period between that time and 1862 data as to its 
rise and fall are not available, but in 1862 it was very high and prob- 
ably overflowed. During the succeeding dry period, especially dur- 
ing the years 1866 and 1867, when practically no rain fell on the drain- 
age area tributary to the lake, it receded very rapidly but was full 
again in 1872 and overflowed down its outlet through Temescal 
Canyon. After this it again evaporated to a level probably as low 
as it has ever been since, but the great rains of the winter of 1883-84 
filled it to overflowing in three weeks. 

Americans had settled around it by this time and their descriptions 
of conditions say that large willow trees surrounding the low-water 
shore line were of such size that they must have been thirty or more 
years old. The rainfall in the next ten years was excessive, and the 
lake stayed high and overflowed naturally during three or four years 
of the decade. It was purchased by the Temescal Water Co. for the 
irrigation of lands at Corona, Cal., and its outlet channel was deep- 
ened, permitting gravity flow to Corona for a year or more after the 
lake level had sunk below the elevation of its outlet. As the surface 
still receded a pumping plant was installed and the water was raised a 
maximum of about 10 feet and then flowed down the natural channel 
of Temescal Canyon. Pumping was continued a couple of seasons, 
but the concentration of salts in the lake, due to the evaporation and 
low rainfall, soon made the water imfit for irrigation. 

After 1893 the water level sank almost continuously for nearly ten 
years, with, of course, a shght rise every winter. The heavier precip- 
itation, beginning in 1903, gradually filled the lake to about half the 
depth between its minimum level since 1883 and its high level or 
overflow point. The flood of January, 1916, rapidly raised the level, 
to overflowing, although the run-off from its drainage area into the 
lake appears to have been considerably less than that of the wet 
years of 1883-84 and 1888-89. (See PI. XVII, B.) 

» Prepared by Francis R. Schanck, assistant inspector of irrigation, United States Indian Office, Los 
Angeles, Cal. 



72 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



The fact that large trees were growing 20 feet or more below the 
high-water level when the lake filled in 1883-84 indicates that the 
high water of the sixties and seventies must have been of very short 
duration. The stumps of the trees were still visible in 1888 and 1889 
many hundred feet from shore, but by the time the lake receded in the 
middle nineties these had disappeared. 

ELSINORE LAKE AT ELSINORE, CAL. 

Location, — In La Laguna grant at outlet of lake at Elsinore, Riverside County. 

Gage. — Vertical staff installed December 1, 1915; datum 1,237.20 feet above sea level. 
The water surface rose above this gage and a new staff was installed January 25, 
1916; datum 1,237.53 feet. This gage was flooded and the observer installed a 
temporary staff on January 30, 1916, at approximately the same datum, but 
before it could be referred to previous datum it also was flooded. 



Daily elevation, in feet above sea level, of Elsinore Lake at Elsinore, Cal.,for 

1916. 


January^ 


Date. 


Eleva- 
tion. 


Date. 


Eleva- 
tion. 


Date. 


Eleva- 
tion. 


Date. 


Eleva- 
tion. 


Jan. 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 


1,245.4 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 
1,245.3 


9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 


1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 
1,245.4 


17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 


1,246.7 
1,247.2 
1,248.7 
1,250.2 
1,251.2 
1,252.2 
1,252.7 


24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 


1,252.9 
1,253.2 
1,254.0 
1.254.5 
1,255.5 
1.257.5 
1,258.5 



SOTTTH FORE OF SAN JACINTO RFTER AT HEMET RESERVOIR, NEAR SAN JACINTO, 

CAL. 

Location. — The dam is in sec. 7, T. 6 S., R. 3 E., below Hemet Valley, about 6 miles 
above mouth of South Fork of San Jacinto River, and 17 miles southeast of San 
Jacinto, Riverside County. 

Drainage area. — 65.8 square miles (at dam; measured on topographic map). 

Elevation. — About 4,350 feet above sea level. 

Discharge, — The following table, computed by Mr. W. S. Post, consulting engineer, 
shows the run-off into Hemet reservoir. 

Gage height, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet, of South ForTc of San Jacinto River at 
Hemet reservoir, near San Jacinto, Cal., for January ^ 1916. 









Instan- 










Instan- 








Reser- 


taneous 


Mean 






Reser- 


taneous 


Mean 


Date. 


Time. 


voir 
gage 


dis- 
charge 


daily 
dis-' 


Date. 


Time. 


voir 

gage 


dis- 
charge 


daily 
dis- 






height. 


into 
reservoir. 


charge. 






height. 


into 
reservoir. 


charge. 


Tan. 14 


8 a.m. 


116.65 


22 


54 


22 


8 a. m. 


122.5 


146 


146 


15 


8 a. m. 


116.88 


39 


42 


23 


8 a. m. 


122.5 


146 


146 


16 


8 a.m. 


117. 17 


137 


164 


24 


8 a. m. 


122.5 


162 


176 


17 


2 p. m. 


119. 17 


2,810 


1,450 


25 


8 a.m. 


122.67 


228 


190 




6 p. m. 


124.5 


3,200 




26 


8 a.m. 


122.67 


212 


212 




12 p. m. 
8 a. m. 
8 p. m. 


125.83 


1,440 
822 
930 




27 


8 am. 


a 122, 67 


1,710 
9,550 
2,460 


5,070 


18 


124.5 
123.67 


754 


28 


4 p. m. 
8 a. m. 


128.0 
125.0 




2,880 




12 p. m. 


123.5 


748 




29 


8 a. m. 


123.92 


1,300 


1,390 


19 


12 p. m. 


a 122. 67 


88 


412 


30 


8 a. m. 


123.83 


1,180 


980 


20 


8 a. m. 


122.5 


100 


126 


31 


8 a. m. 


122.92 


260 


349 


21 


8 a. m. 


122.5 


146 


146 













a Interpolated. 



Total run-off ^or period{^f|*^^^-;i-^ ---;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;- 29^^00 

NoTB.— Table sunmiarizes the detailed computations, based on notes furnished by the water company 
and covering stage of reservoir, spillway discharge, gate leakage, and other conditions. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 73 

SAN GABRIEL RIVER BASIN. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

San Gabriel River is one of the three large streams traversing the 
valley of southern California. Its drainage basin lies wholly in Los 
Angeles County west of the Santa Ana basin and east of the Los 
Angeles basin and stretches from the crest of the Sierra Madre to the 
Pacific, a distance of about 50 miles. Its total drainage area is 
approximately 700 square miles, about one-third of which consists of 
mountain slopes, which contribute practically all of the run-off except 
in heavy storms. The remaining two-thirds is embraced in the 
San Gabriel Valley at the base of the mountains and in the coastal 
plain southeast of the city of Los Angeles. 

The mountainous part of the basin is somewhat rectangular. 
Its length east and west is about 25 miles, and its width about 10 
miles. It hes on the southern slope of the Sierra Madre opposite 
the basins of Big and Little Rock creeks at the north and on the 
southern slope of the San Gabriel Range, through which the river 
breaks near Azusa and enters the San Gabriel Valley. 

The main stream is formed by the junction of two principal forks, 
one from the north and east and the other from the west. Each of 
the branches receives many tributaries from the crests of the sm*- 
rounding ranges. The headwaters come from the western slope of 
San Antonio Peak (Old Baldy), altitude 10,080 feet, and from the 
southern slope of other high peaks at the north, such as North Baldy 
and IsHp mountains. The west fork drains the northern slope of 
Mount Wilson, the eastern and northern slopes of San Gabriel Peak, 
and a portion of the southern slopes of the main range to the north. 
It joins the main stream about 8 miles above the mouth of the can- 
yon. The general course of the stream is southwest ward. After 
leaving the mountains it traverses San Gabriel Valley in a wide wash 
of sand, gravel, and boulders, then breaks through the range of foot- 
hills separating San Gabriel Valley from the coastal plain at a point 
called The Narrows, about 5 miles northwest of Whittier, and enters 
the coastal plain, across which it flows to its mouth in Alamitos Bay, 
a few miles east of Long Beach. The total length of the stream is 
about 65 or 70 miles. 

The principal tributaries of San Gabriel River are Fish Fork and 
Cattle Creek from the east, and Iron and West forks from the west. 

Altitudes in San Gabriel basin range from 20 to 200 feet on the 
Coastal Plain from 200 to 900 feet in San Gabriel Valley, and from 
1,000 to 10,000 feet in the mountains. The range of foothills near 
Whittier has an altitude of about 1,250 feet. The topography is 
rough and rugged in the mountains, especially in the upper part, 
where deep and harrow canyons exist. The geologic formation is 



74 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



granitic, with a light soil covering. The San Gabriel Valley is more or 
less roUing and is composed of granitic wash from the mountains. 

The basin is rather poorly forested, having a sparse timber growth 
on the higher slopes and brush with some scattered timber on the 
middle and lower elevations. 

The mean aimual precipitation in this basin ranges from 15 to 20 
inches in the valley area, and from 20 to 40 inches in the mountains. 
It occurs almost entirely as rain except on the higher peaks, where 
snow falls during the winter. On the northern slopes snow remains 
for several weeks. 

SAN GABRIEL RIVER NEAR AZUSA, CAX. 

Location. — In the NW. \ sec. 23, T. 1 N., K. 10 W., near road crossing at mouth of 
canyon, about half a mile above the Pacific Light & Power Corporation's power 
house and 2 miles north of Azusa, Los Angeles County. 

Drainage area. — 222 square miles. 

Elevation. — ^About 750 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — 1894 to January 31, 1916. 

Gage. — Staff were fastened to rock point on left bank about 200 feet above ford, read 
daily; oftener during floods. Gage used January 2 to 8 and 12 to 16, 1916, is on 
left bank about 600 feet below ford at an independent datum. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from cable 1,000 feet above ford or by wading 
near gage. The float measurements on January 17 and 18, 1916, were made just 
below gage. The cross-section for these measurements, secured March 8, 1916, 
was taken 145 feet below regular gage (PI. XVI, B, p. 68). 

Channel and control. — Composed of gravel and boulders; shifts during high water. 

Extremes op discharge. — 1894-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 11.7 feet Feb- 
ruary 20, 1914 (discharge, 18,100 second-feet); minimum stage, dry for several 
months during each year. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The crest of the flood occurred at 7 a. m., 
January 18; gage height, 12.0 feet (discharge, 40,000 second-feet). 

Diversions. — The power canal of the Pacific Light & Power Corporation heads 
about 5 miles above the station. No water in this canal from afternoon of Jan- 
uary 17 to the morning of January 19, as the intake was closed by drift. 

Regulation. — None. 

Accuracy. — Kesults considered good for January, 1916. Bating curves for extreme 
high water are defined by the float measurements made January 17 and 18. A 
coeflicient of 0.80 was used to reduce float velocities to mean velocities. There 
was doubtless a fill in the channel after the crest of the flood on January 18 and hence 
the areas for the float measurements are probably low. 

Discharge measurements of San Gabriel River near Azusa, Cal.,for January, 1916. 

[Made by F. C. Ebert.] 



Date. 


heigtTt. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 3 


Feet. 
a 1.82 
a 1.62 
a 2. 03 
a 1.88 


Sec.-ft. 
63 
39 
107 
76 


4 

12 


13 





Date. 



Jan. 15 
17 
18. 
19. 



Gage Dis- 
height. charge. 



Feet. 
O2.08 
10.30 
11.50 
7.38 



Sec.-ft. 

117 

618,400 

632,400 

4,300 



Date. 



Jan. 19 
20. 
21. 
24. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
7.10 
6.62 
6.34 
5.80 



Dis- 
charge. 



Sec.-ft. 

3,750 

2,380 

1,570 

848 



o Gage below ford read. 



6 Float measurements. 



FLOOD RUN-OFF. 



75 



Combined daily discharge, in second-feet, of San Gabriel River and Pacific Light 6: Power 
Corporation's canal near Aziisa, Cat., for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


• Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 1 


63 


9 


480 


Jan. 17 


17.100 


Jan. 25 


840 


2 


93 


1 10 


820 


18 


22.300 


1 26 


700 


3 


159 


11 


480 


19 


3,980 


27 


7,940 


4 


117 


i 12 


190 


20 


2,450 


28 


4.290 


5 


179 


13 


159 


91 


1,650 


29 


2.240 


6 


142. 


14 


135 


22 


1,410 


30 


2.080 


7 


117 


15 


215 


23 


1,250 


31 


1,790 


8 


102 


16 


179 


24 


928 







Total runoff for month{5^^--i^-^^^v^---- 

Note.— Water began flowing in river at gaging station on Jan. 2; discharge Jan. 17 and 18 computed 
firom several gage readings. 

LOS ANGELES RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Lo9 Angeles River is formed by Tujunga, Pacoima, and other small 
creeks whose sources He in the Sierra Madre northeast of the city of 
Los Angeles. These streams leave the moimtains at a point about 25 
miles above the city and enter the comparatively flat country of the 
San Fernando Valley, where, except at times of excessive flood, the 
waters disappear in the sand and gravel washes. At the lower end 
of this valley is a secondary range of hills, extending from east to 
west, and bed rock obstruction forces the watei-s to the surface to 
form what is kno\vn as Los Angeles River. Below this point the 
river flows through the flat country of the Los Angeles Valley and 
enters the Pacific near the to\\Ti of Long Beach. At the city of Los 
Angeles it is joined by AiToyo Seco. This stream issues from the 
mountains on the west side of Pasadena Mesa, and passes through an 
opening in a granite spur known as Devils Gate. Between the point 
where it leaves the mountain and Devils Gate lies a broad river bot- 
tom, 2 miles long, composed of coarse material, into which the water 
sinks rapidly. In passing over this material the volume of flood 
water is diminished. 

LOS ANGELES RIVER AT LOS ANGELES, CAL.> 

Los Angeles River was measured at the bridge near the old pigeon 
farm above jmiction with Arroyo Seco. The discharge at 11 a. m. 
January 19, 1916, was 1,308 second-feet. The maximum height of 
the flood during the storm was ascertained from an eye \\atness and 
from marks on the bank, as 4 feet higher than the stage of the river 
at the time the measurement was made. A velocity of 11.0 feet 
per second was used for computing the probable maximum discharge. 
The estimated maximum flow for the stream at this point was 7,268 
second-feet. 



Lippincott, J. B., memorandum concerning the flooOa of Jan. 17 and 18, 1916. 



76 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 

The following is a summary of measurements made January 18, 
1916, for the flood flow between Dominguez Junction and Cerritos, 
of the water entering the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors:^ 

Second-feet. 

Main Cerritos bridge 22, 873 

Cota bridge (first opening to the west) 1, 816 

At pole No. 1006 (second opening) : 676 

Bridge No. 1463 1, 057 

Bridge No. 1450 978 

Bridge No. 1433 3, 240 

Bridge No. 1418 233 

Compton Creek 240 

Total 31, 113 

Practically half the flow was going to the east into the Long 
Beach Harbor and, as near as could be determined from the obser- 
vations, half to the west into Wilmington Harbor. It is considered 
that the 1916 flood at this point was as great in volimae as in 1914 
and that it lasted longer. 

ARROYO SECO NEAR PASADENA, CAL. 

Location. — Near south line of sec. 30, T. 2 N., R. 12 W. (unsurveyed), just below 
trail crossing at forest ranger's station in Angeles National Forest, about 3 miles 
above Devils Gate, li miles above mouth of Millard Canyon, and 5J miles north- 
east of Pasadena, Los Angeles County. 

Drainage area. — 16.4 square miles (measured on topographic maps). 

Elevation. — About 1,450 feet above sea level. 

Records available. — December 1, 1910, to January, 1916. 

Gage. — Staff fastened to an alder on right bank 300 feet southeast of ranger's station. 

Discharge measurements. — Made by wading below gage or from foot log. 

Channel and control. — Composed of solid rock, gravel, and boulders; slightly 
shifting during high water. 

Extremes op discharge. — 1910-1915: Maximum stage recorded, 12.5 feet February 
20, 1914 (discharge, 5,630 second-feet); minimum stage, below gage September 12 
to 23, 1913 (discharge estimate, 0.1 second-foot). 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — Crest of flood occurred at 9.30 a. m. January 
17; gage height, 9.3 feet; discharge, 3,150 second-feet, or 192 second-feet per 
square mile. 

Accuracy. — Gage read only 5 days in January. The high-water extension of the 
rating curve is based on measurement of slope and cross section of the channel. 
Curve well defined for medium and low stages. 

Discharge measurements of Arroyo Seco near Pasadena, Cal., during January, 1916. 

[Made by F. C. Ebert.] 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 12 




Fut. 
3.55 
4.18 


Sec.-ft. 
14 


22 


64 







1 Lippincott, J. B., memoranda concerning the floods of Jan. 17 and 18, 1916. 



FLOOD EUN-OFF. 



77 



Mean daily gage height, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet, of Arroyo Seco near Pasadena, 

Cal., for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan 17 


7.65 
4.14 
4.04 


o 1,930 ! 
58 
42 


Jan. 24 


4.1 
•4.18 


51 


22 


25 


65 


23 











a Maximum discharge Jan., 1916, see station description. 
ARROYO SECO > AT LOS ANGELES, CAL. 

On January 19, 1916, the flood flow of the Arroyo Seco was meas- 
ured at Avenue 20 Bridge in Los Angeles. The peak of the flood 
had passed. Soundings were made from the bridge at intervals of 
5 feet. The velocity was ascertained by means of floats and found 
to be 6.0 feet per second. The discharge at 9.30 a. m. January 19, 
1916, was 737 second-feet. From the statement of an eye witness 
and from water marks on the banks it was found that at the crest 
of the flood on the preceding days the water had been 4 feet higher 
than at the time of measurement. Accordingly, a section was com- 
puted for this higher level. The velocity at the higher stage was 
estimated to be 11.0 feet per second, which gives a maximum dis- 
charge for the storm at this point of 6,215 second-feet. 

SANTA CLARA RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Santa Clara River has its source in Soledad Canyon in the north- 
central part of Los Angeles County. Its general course is westward, 
and it enters the Pacific Ocean about 3 miles southeast of Ventura. 
The principal tributaries are Castac, Piru, Sespe, and Santa Paula 
creeks, which enter from the north. During the low-water period 
the channels of these streams are usually dry at their junction with 
the main stream. For the lower 40 miles of its course the channel 
of Santa Clara River is broad and sandy. During the rainy season 
it is subject to very sudden and severe floods while for the remainder 
of the year the channel is practically dry. 

SESPE CREEK NEAR SESPE, CAL. 

Location. — At Bradfields Camp, in Santa Barbara National Forest, three-fourths of 
a mile below mouth of West Fork of Sespe Creek, A\ miles above intake of Fill- 
more canal, and about 6^ miles northwest of Sespe, Ventura County 

Drainage area. — 216 square miles (measured by Ralph Bennett, consulting 
engineer). 

Elevation.— About 1,350 feet above sea level. 

Gage. — Painted on large boulder and on rock cliff on left bank. 

Discharge measurements. — Made from cable 250 feet above gage or by wading. 

1 Lippincott, J. B., memoranda concerning the floods of Jan. 17 and IS, 1916. 



78 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS OF JANUARY, 1916. 



Channel and control. — Gravel and large boulders; fairly permanent. 

Maximum discharge in January, 1916. — The maximum stage reported was 18.7 feet 

(discharge 18,600 second-feet) on January 17 (time not given). 
Accuracy. — Results considered good. Discharge measurements made after January 

17 show that the high water caused a small amount of scour in the channel. Rating 

curves well defined. 
Cooperation.— The gage-height record and discharge measurements were furnished 

by Sespe Light & Power Co. 

Discharge measurements of Sespe Creek near Sespe, Cal., for January, 1916. 
[Made by G. H. Killgore.] 



Date. 


height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1 

Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan. 2 


Feet. 
7.60 
6.70 
8.90 


292 
1,320 


Jan 17... . 


Feet. 
15.90 
18.70 
16.90 


Sec.-ft. 
10,100 
17,400 
13,700 


Jan 19 


Feet. 
9.20 
7.60 

12.90 


Sec.-ft. 

1,550 

678 

o4,690 


3 


17 


21 


4 


18 


27 









a Float measurement; coeflBcient of 0.85 used to reduce surface velocities to mean velocities. 
Mean daily discharge, in second-feet, of Sespe Creek near Sespe, Cal., for January, 1916. 



Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Jan.l 


46 


1 Jan. 9 


850 


Jan. 17 


8,100 


Jan. 25 


360 


2 


605 


1 10 


440 


18 


11,400 1 


26 


345 


3 


560 


! 11 


205 


19 


2,320 1 


27 


6,500 


4 


960 


12 


144 


20 


1,060 I 


28 


1,360 


5 


184 


13 


119 


21 


615 


29 


900 


6 


144 


14 


480 


22 


495 


30 


705 


7 


110 


15 


228 


23 


390 


31 


595 


8 


106 


16 


253 


24 


375 







Totalrun-ofi for month{5^p^{f?^-^^^^--^^^-g 



81,200 
7.04 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Acknowledgments for aid 8-9 

Anaheim Union Water Co., loss to, from 

flood 30 

Arroyo Seco at Los Angeles 77 

near Pasadena 76 

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., 

loss to, from flood 31 

Azusa, San Gabriel River near 74-75 

San Gabriel River near, after flood, plate 

showing 68 

Bernardo, San Dieguito River near 58-59 

Bonsall, Moosa Canyon Creek near 66 

San Luis Rey River at 64-65 

Boulder Creek at Cuyamaca reservoir near 

Julian 54 

Bowen, Edward R., cited 39 

Bridges, highway, damage to, by flood 32-33 

Campbell, A., cited 35-36 

Campo, precipitation at, rate of 21-22 

Canfield ranch, February 21, 1916, plate 

showing 30 

Canterini, Edward, on preceding floods 39 

Capitan Grande dam site after flood, plate 

showing 47 

San Diego River at 52 

Carroll dam site, San Dieguito River at, after 

flood, plate showing 59 

Cottonwood Creek at Morena reservoir 42-43 

Cottonwood Creek basin, description of 41-42 

Crest discharges of streams for January, 1916. . 22-23 

Cromwell, George, cited 56 

Cuyamaca Peak, elevation of 50 

Cuyamaca reservoir, B oulder Creek at 54-55 

condition of, during the flood 26-27 

Cuyamaca Water Co., loss to, from flood 29 

Damage from flood, summary of 7-8, 27 

Dehesa, Sweetwater River near 47-48 

Descanso, Sweetwater River near 46-47 

D oyle. Father, on preceding floods 39 

Ellis, C. H.,sr., on preceding floods 36 

Elsinore, San Jacinto River near 70-71 

San Jacinto River near, after flood, plate 

showing 69 

Elsinore Lake at Elsinore 72 

history of 71-72 

north shore of, plate showing 69 

Engineering Record cited 24,26 

Escondido Mutual Water Co., loss to, from 

flood 30 

Fenton-Sumption-Bames Co., loss to, from 

flood 34 

Femold, F. L., on a preceding flood 39 

Floods, preceding, rex;ords of 35-40 

Foster, San Vicente Creek at 55 

San Vicente Creek at, after flood, plate 

showing 47 

Gaging stations, map showing In pocket. 

Gregg, William S., cited 36-37 

Guinn, J. M., cited 36 

Hawgood, H., on preceding floods 40 

Highways, damage to, by flood 32-33 

Hubbard, P. F., on preceding floods 38-39 

Indian reservations, damage to, by flood 34 

Jamacho, Sweetwater River near 48 

Jamul Creek near Otay 45 

near Otay after flood, plate showing 46 

Jamul Creek basin, de5<7ription of 43 



Page. 

Julian, Boulder Creek near 54-65 

Lake Hemet Water Co., loss to, from flood. . 30 
Lakeside, San Diego River at, after flood, 

plate showing 53 

San Diego River near 50-51 

Land, farm, damage to, from flood 28 

Life, loss of, from flood 27 

Long Beach harbor, damage to, by flood 34-35 

Los Angeles, precipitation at, daily, for maxi- 
mum months 22 

precipitation at, 1877-1916, record of 19 

rate of 21 

Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad Co. , loss to, 

fromflood 31 

Los Angeles & San Diego Beach Railway Co., 

loss to, from flood 32 

Los Angeles harbor, damage to, by flood 34 

Los Angeles River at Los Angeles 75-76 

preceding floods on 40 

Los Angeles River basin, description of 75 

gaging-station records in 75-77 

Lower Otay reservoir after failure of dam, 

plateshowing 24 

failure of dam at 25-26 

Otay River at 44 

storage in, for January, 1916 45 

Lytic Creek at San Bernardino 69 

Mentone, Santa Ana River near 68 

Santa Ana River near, after flood, plate 

showing 68 

Mesa Grande, San Luis Rey River near 61-62 

Santa Ysabel Creek near 56-57 

Mission dam, San Diego River at, after flood, 

plate showing 52 

Mission Valley, San Diego River, after flood, 

plateshowing 52 

San Luis Rey River, in 1915, plate show- 
ing 28 

February 21, 1916, plate showing 28 

view across, after flood 29 

Moosa Canyon Creek near Bonsall 66 

Morena reservoir, condition of, during the 

flood 24 

Cottonwood Creek at 42-43 

MulhoUand, William, on preceding floods. ... 40 

Nellie, San Luis Rey River near 62-63 

Oceanside, debris on beach at, plate showing . 32 

San Luis Rey River at 65-66 

Otay, Jamul Creek near 45 

Otay River after failure of Lower Otay, dam, 

plateshowing 24 

at Lower Otay reservoir 44-45 

Otay River basin, description of 43 

flood run-off in 43-45 

Pacific Electric Railway Co., loss to, from 

flood 32 

Pacific Light & Power Corporation, loss to, 

fromflood 30 

Pala, highway bridge at, before flood, plate 

showing 33 

highway bridge at, wreck of, after flood, 

plate showing 33 

San Luis Rey River at and near 63-64 

Power plants, damage to, by flood 30-31 

Precipitation, at Los Angeles, 1877-1916, 

record of 19 

79 



80 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Precipitation at Los Angeles, daily, for maxi- 
mum months, record of 22 

at San Diego, lSoO-191G, record of 17-18 

daily, for maximum months, record 

of 22 

at Santa Barbara, 1867-1916, record of. . . . 20 

for January, 1916, records of 11, 12-16 

intensity of 20-22 

stations for recording, map showing. .In pocket. 
Property, miscellaneous, damage to, by flood. 34-35 

municipal, damage to, by flood 28-29 

See also Water supplies. 

Railroads, damage to, by flood 31-52 

Rainfall. See Precipitation. 

Ramona, Santa Maria Creek near 59-60 

Santa Maria Creek near, in 1917, plate 

showing 59 

• Santa Ysabel Creek near 57-58 

Reservoirs, condition of, during the flood 24-27 



Riverside Water Co., loss to, from flood 

Run-off from flood, collection of measure- 
ments on 

Run-off of streams for January, 1916 

San Antonio Peak, altitude of 

San Bernardino, Ljrtle Creek at 

San Diego, precipitation at, daily, for maxi- 
mum months 



30 

40^1 
24 
73 



22 



precipitation at, 1850-1916, record of 17-18 

rate of 21 

Switzer Canyon at 56 

water supply of, damage to, by flood 29 

San Diego & Arizona Railway Co., loss to, 

from flood 32 

San Diego & Southeastern Railway Co., 

loss to, from flood 32 

San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Co.; 

loss to, from flood 34 

San Diego River atCapitan Grande damsite, 

near Lakeside - 52 

after flood, plate showing 47 

at diverting dam near Lakeside 50-51 

at Lakeside after flood, plate sho-ning — 53 
at Mission dam after flood, plate sho\\ing . 52 
at Mission Valley after flood, plate show- 
ing 52 

at San Diego 53-54 

after flood, plate showing 31 

near Santee 52-53 

preceding floods on 37-38 

San Diego River basin, description of 49-50 

gaging-station records in 50-56 

San Dieguito River at Carroll dam site after 

flood, plate showing 59 

near Bernardo 58-59 

San Dieguito River basin, description of 56 

gaging-station records in 56-60 

San Gabriel River near Azusa 74-75 

near Azusa after flood, plate showing 68 

preceding floods on 40 

San Gabriel River basin, description of 73-74 

gaging-station records in 74-75 

San Jacinto River near Elsinore 70-71 

near Elsinore after flood, plate showing. . 69 

near San Jacinto 70 

South Fork of, at Hemet reservoir 72 

San Luis Rey River at Bonsall 64-65 

at Mission Valley, in 1915, plate showing. 28 
after flood, plates showing 28, 29 



San Luis Rey River at mouth of Moosa Can- 
yon Creek after flood, plate show- 
ing 29 

at Oceanside 65-66 

delta builtup by, after flood, plateshowing 32 
from mouth after flood, plate showing. . . 32 

near Mesa Grande 61-62 

near Nellie 62-63 

near Pala 63-64 

preceding floods on 38-39 

San Luis Rey River basin, description of 61 

gaging-station records in 61-62 

San Vicente Creek at Foster 55 

at Foster after flood, plate showing 47 

Santa Ana River at San Bernardino 68-69 

near Mentone 6 

after flood, plate showing 68 

Santa Ana River basin, description of 67-68 

gaging-station records in 68-72 

Santa Barbara, precipitation at, 1867-1916, 

record of 20 

Santa Clara River basin, description of 77 

gaging-station records in 77-78 

Santa Maria Creek near Ramona 59-60 

near Ramona in 1917, plate sho'wing 59 

Santa Margarita River after flood, plate show- 
ing 31 

Santa Ysabel Creek near Mesa Grande 56-x'^~ 

near Mesa Grande after flood, plate show- 
ing 58 

near Ramona 67-^8 

after flood, plate showing 58 

basin, description of 56 

Santee, San Diego River near 52-53 

Sespe Creek near Sespe 77-78 

Silent, Roy A., cited 25-26 

South Coast Land Co., loss to, from flood 29 

Southern California Edison Co., loss to, from 

flood 30-31 

Southern Pacific Co., loss to, from flood 31 

Southern Sierras Power Co. , loss to , from flood 31 

Squirrel Inn, precipitation at, rate. of 21 

Storms of January, 1916, description of 10-11 

Sweetwater dam after flood, breaks in 26 

breaks in, plate showing 25 

Sweetwater River at Sweetwater dam 48-49 

near Dehesa 47-48 

near Descanso 46-47 

after flood, plate showing 46 

near Jamacho 48 

preceding floods on 36-37 

basin, description of 45-46 

gaging-station records in 46-49 

Sweetwater Water Co. , loss to, from flood ... 29 

Switzer Canyon at San Diego 56 

Swj'caffer, Mrs. Martha, on preceding floods. . 37-38 
Telegraph and telephone lines, damage to, by 

flood 33-34 

Temecula Creek, preceding floods on 39 

Temescal Water Co., loss to, from flood 30 

Tia Juana River, preceding floods on 36 

Tia Juana River basin , flood run-off in 4 1-43 

United States Geological Survey, loss to, from 

flood 35 

United States Weather Bureau cited 10 

Water supplies, damage to, by flood 29-30 

Western Salt Co., loss to, from flood 34 

Winston ranch, February 21, 1916, plate show- 
ing 30 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 426 PLATE 








MAP OF A PART OF 

SOUTIiEEN CALIFORNIA 

SHOWING I'RECIPITATION AND (iAGING STAIIONS 



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Precipitation station Boundaries o 



PRECIPITATION S 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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